The Ministry of Culture and Tourism recently released China's 15th Five-Year Plan for the protection and inheritance of intangible cultural heritage (ICH), outlining a package of measures for systematic conservation.

By 2030, a preliminary framework will be established for systematic ICH protection. This includes refining conservation mechanisms, achieving solid progress in the national ICH survey, protecting representative heritage items, expanding the talent pool, and creating more scenarios to integrate the heritage into modern life.

Building a sound talent development system ranks high on the agenda. Universities and research institutions are encouraged to develop ICH-related academic disciplines. Deep partnerships will be forged among preservation institutions, inheritors, universities and vocational schools for targeted training. National training programs for university faculties specializing in this field will continue, alongside expanded expert think-tanks, forming multi-level talent pools to consolidate conservation work.

Keeping pace with digital, networked and intelligent trends, the plan promotes smart technology-driven protection. China will promote the development and implementation of metadata standards for ICH databases, and advance the application of standards for the collection and cataloging of digital heritage resources.

High-quality ICH corpora will be built and applications of general-purpose large AI models explored in the preservation and transmission of this heritage. The plan also encourages the use of knowledge graphs, AI agents and other methods to support the dissemination and popularization of knowledge about the heritage.

Virtual reality, augmented reality, holographic imaging and 3D real-scene reconstruction will be more widely used for the protection, while generative AI will be trialed for innovative exhibitions and communication.

Tech companies are encouraged to unlock the value of ICH data and develop diverse digital cultural products. Localities will roll out cloud exhibitions, virtual experiences and digital ICH museums.

For cross-border cultural engagement, the plan calls for deeper heritage protection cooperation and supports the global market expansion of ICH-themed products. Inheritors and preservation organizations will be supported to showcase heritage highlights at international festivals and multilateral events, advancing mutual learning among civilizations.