Early morning tea food is served at the century-old Haitangchun Tea House. [Photo/WeChat account: weihailing0523]
Over 10 representative inheritors of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) from Hailing district of Taizhou, East China's Jiangsu province, gathered at the century-old Haitangchun Tea House, a shop in the district that serves early morning tea, Huaiyang traditional dishes, and snacks, on Nov 12, where they discussed the preservation, promotion, and innovative development of their crafts.
Hailing currently has developed a comprehensive ICH system, boasting 74 representative ICH projects and 55 key inheritors.
Jiang Guangyi, a 73-year-old chef from Haitangchun Tea House, makes "Taizhou Jumping Noodles". [Photo/tznews.cn]
Haitangchun, established in 1925, stands as a testament to this dedication. Fourth-generation inheritor Yuan Haijun emphasized the importance of preserving traditional crafts such as "Taizhou Jumping Noodles" and "Haitangchun Rain Tea", underscoring their role as cultural cornerstones.
Over the years, the artists have been working to blend tradition with modernity and transform cultural heritage from static displays into vibrant, interactive experiences.
For example, Yuan has successfully managed to get Haitangchun represented on international platforms such as the 2025 "Chinese Cuisine Culture Goes Global" event in Malaysia. He proposed the creation of a "Heritage Symbiosis Platform", exploring the integration of ICH with dining and cultural creativity, and establishing digital archives to rejuvenate century-old crafts.
Xu Huabin, a crochet artist, shared her innovative practices combining traditional crochet techniques with modern aesthetics and teaching over 40 hearing-impaired individuals.
Hailing is committed to embedding ICH into urban life, creating a "15-minute quality cultural life circle" with 26 designated ICH brand stores and four workshops. Xu Tonghua, director of the Hailing District Cultural, Sports and Tourism Bureau, emphasized the district's commitment to enhancing ICH through tourism and education, ensuring these cultural treasures thrive in the digital age, to enrich both local culture and international appeal.
Xu Huabin teaches a girl crochet techniques. [Photo/WeChat account: weihailing0523]
