STORY: Exploring intangible cultural heritages along China's Grand Canal
SHOOTING TIME: June 18, 2024
DATELINE: June 19, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:31
LOCATION: CANGZHOU, China
CATEGORY: CULTURE

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the Grand Canal
2. STANDUP (English): BAI LIN, Xinhua correspondent
3. various of intangible cultural heritages on display
4. various of the Suzhou embroidery artwork
5. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): ZHANG CHENGWEI, Tour guide at the exhibition hall
6. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): ZHANG CHENGWEI, Tour guide at the exhibition hall
7. various of visitors
8. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): ZHU YINGQING, Head of service department for visitors at the exhibition hall

STORYLINE:

An exhibition hall in Cangzhou, north China's Hebei Province, showcases a diverse array of intangible cultural heritages found along China's Grand Canal.

With a history of more than 2,500 years, the Grand Canal served as a significant transportation artery in ancient China.

STANDUP (English): BAI LIN, Xinhua correspondent
"China's Grand Canal, a vast waterway connecting the northern and southern parts of China, was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014. The exhibition hall here in Cangzhou showcases more than 1,000 intangible cultural heritages from eight provinces and municipalities alongside the canal. So, let's have a look."

The exhibition hall provides visitors with a panoramic view of various intangible cultural heritages.

There are cloisonne crafts from Beijing, clay figurines from Tianjin, embroidery from Suzhou and shadow puppetry from Shandong Province, among others.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): ZHANG CHENGWEI, Tour guide at the exhibition hall
"This Suzhou embroidery artwork was crafted by 16 embroideresses for two months. It presents the landmarks and intangible cultural heritages in eight provinces and municipalities along the canal. If we take a closer look at the characters, we will find that some were wearing ancient costumes and others were wearing modern clothes, creating a fusion of the past and the present."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): ZHANG CHENGWEI, Tour guide at the exhibition hall
"I'm eager to immerse myself in these intangible cultural heritage skills and empathize with the people who lived thousands or hundreds of years ago. I grew up by the canal, and I sincerely hope that I can tell more people about the history and culture along the Grand Canal."

The exhibition hall opened to the public in May 2023 and has since received more than 600,000 visitors.
   
SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): ZHU YINGQING, Head of service department for visitors at the exhibition hall
"During the summer, we will also develop study programs so that children can have a closer understanding of intangible cultural heritage, develop an appreciation for it, and have hands-on experiences with it."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Cangzhou, China.
(XHTV)