Exploration and Practice in Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Tibet

　　Ma Shengde (China)

　　The people of all ethnic groups in Tibet create abundant cultural expression forms with rich regional characteristics and national characteristics, which are widely distributed in various aspects such as folk literature, traditional music, traditional dances, traditional dramas, traditional skills, traditional medicine etc., on the snowy plateau in communication and interaction with the people of other ethnic groups during the long process of historical development. This intangible cultural heritage is the precious spiritual wealth and wisdom created by people of all ethnic groups in production and living and an important part of the Chinese traditional culture. Enhancing the protection and inheritance of the Tibetan intangible cultural heritage has important practical significance and profound historical significance for nation construction.

　　I. Significance of Protection of Tibetan Intangible Cultural Heritage

　　(I) Helping maintain national reunification and national unity

　　The Chinese nation has a magnificent and glorious civilization history and shows a pattern with unity in diversity during the long course of history. The so-called "diversity" means that each ethic group has its own ethnic characteristics, such as ethnic origin, folk customs, religious beliefs, languages and character etc. The so-called "unity" means that the Chinese nation is a unity comprising 56 ethnic groups formed during the historical process. An ethnic fusion relationship forms due to multiple factors such as geographical relationship, economic and cultural exchange and interaction among various ethnic groups etc. The long history and splendid culture of the Chinese nation are created by people of all ethnic groups. Tibetan intangible cultural heritage is the wisdom fruit of people of all ethnic groups on the snowy plateau and an integral part of Chinese civilization. Enhancing the protection of Tibetan intangible cultural heritage and promoting the protection and inheritance of Tibetan excellent traditional culture help further cultural exchange among ethnic groups and they are also necessary for maintenance of the cultural identity of the Chinese nation and the Chinese cultural sovereignty.

　　(II) Helping protect the diversity of the human culture

　　Protecting the diversity of the human culture is the core content of Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Caring for and cherishing the ethnic culture is the only way leading to prosperity and development of the world multiculture. The diversity and richness of the human culture can be vigorously guaranteed and properly reflected only by developing a profound and colorful ethnic culture. Intangible cultural heritage shapes in Tibet as a result of its unique geographical location and humanistic environment and it has extremely important historical, literary, art, and scientific value. For instance, the Gesar that has been sung for 1000 years is one of the longest epics in the world. It is popular in the ethnic groups such as the Tibetan nationality, the Mongol nationality, Tu nationality, Yugu nationality, Naxi nationality, Pumi nationality etc in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Mongolian Plateau in China. The people have been orally narrating a story by the epic where the King Gesar subdued monsters and slew demons, restrained the powerful and helped the weak, unified various tribes, and finally returned to the Kingdom of Heaven. It is both a melting pot of cultural diversity of ethnic groups and a witness of sustainable development of multinational folk culture. Meanwhile, Gesar rappers are the most direct creators, inheritors, and disseminators of epics and play multiple roles in narrating history, spread knowledge, regularizing behaviors etc. in various areas. The Tibetan operas, Thangka, traditional Tibetan medicine, musical dances, folk festivals etc. have distinguished features. The Tibetan intangible cultural heritage is like a lustrous pearl in the human civilization history. It has an important role and position.

　　(III) Helping promote social harmony and sustainable development

　　As a spiritual tradition, the intangible cultural heritage is closely associated with the production and living of the people of all ethnic groups in Tibet. It is imperceptibly influencing the value ideas and aesthetic tastes of the public. It plays an important role in adjusting the relations between human and nature, human and society, and human relations. Common customs help form a relatively stable community and alleviate conflicts, resolve contradictions, and maintain a normal social order among the public. Meanwhile, enhancing protection and inheritance of the intangible cultural heritage is also the vigorous support for sustainable development of the economic society. Productive protection can sufficiently exert the advantages of the labor intensive, low energy consumption and pollution-free intangible cultural heritage projects and attract the rural labor force in Tibet and enlarge employment. Presentation of the unique historic and cultural connotation of the intangible cultural heritage can richen the tourist content, improve the tourist attraction. Development of various types of tourist activities, such as cultural tour, cultural experience, cultural leisure etc. can promote development of the tourist industry and service industry and play an important role in improving the living standard of the local people and promoting coordinated sustainable development of the economic society.