Promotion Conference of Thousand-year-old Town of Pingyao Held in Beijing

On May 28th, an investment and industry promotion conference for specialties of intangible cultural heritage of Pingyao, Shanxi Province was held in Beijing.

At the promotion conference, Pingyao County signed a total of 15 agreements in five categories, covering government-enterprise cooperation, international exhibition tour, enterprise cooperation, financial support, talent training, etc. The total amount signed was CNY 2.35 billion, including financial support funds of CNY 1.5 billion, product sales orders of CNY 800 million, and a project of tech-powered food testing center  of CNY 55 million.

An activity on site [Photo by Du Liyong]

The Pingyao Ancient City was built in the Western Zhou Dynasty and has a history of more than 2,800 years. On December 3, 1997, it was included in the World Cultural Heritage List together with the surrounding Shuanglin Temple and Zhenguo Temple. The traditional processing techniques of Pingyao Beef and decorating techniques of Pingyao Polished Lacquer are both items of national intangible cultural heritage.

Wei Jiangfeng, Party Secretary of Pingyao County, introducing Pingyao Beef and Pingyao Polished Lacquer [Photo by Du Liyong]

Wei Jiangfeng, Party Secretary of Pingyao County, made a special presentation on Pingyao Beef and Pingyao Polished Lacquer Specialized Town. He said that the Pingyao Ancient City is a world cultural heritage site, a national historical and cultural city, and a 5A-level tourist attraction. A total of 1,075 cultural relics are scattered throughout the county, 20 key national heritage conservation units are of great value, and 137 intangible heritage items are still shining over centuries, especially Pingyao Beef and Pingyao Polished Lacquer, which are treasures of Pingyao culture.

According to Wei Jiangfeng, the county is accelerating the construction of the Pingyao Beef Industrial Park, with an investment of CNY 2 billion, covering an area of 600 mu. In addition, it will also build a street of Pingyao Polished Lacquer in the East Street of the Pingyao Ancient City. "This event is our new starting point. Pingyao Beef will become a 'Pingyao taste' winning world renown and Pingyao Polished Lacquer will become a 'Pingyao gift' stunning global people."

At the promotion conference, Jia Zhangke, the founder of Pingyao International Film Festival and director, was appointed as the ambassador for the Pingyao Beef and Pingyao Polished Lacquer Specialized Town. On the same day, the Craftsmanship Exhibition of Pingyao Beef and Pingyao Polished Lacquer was also launched at the China Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum, which will last until June 28th.