Mr. YANG Zhi
Director-General, International Training Center for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region under the Auspices of UNESCO（CRIHAP）
As one of the six intangible cultural heritage centers under the auspices of UNESCO, in the world, CRIHAP not only enjoys rich teaching resources and intellectual support from UNESCO, but also establishes a wide network of partnerships with numerous professional institutions in the Asia-Pacific region, such as China Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing University, Central Minzu University of China, C2 Centers in Japan and the Republic of Korea. Since its very establishment, CRIHAP has been dedicated to make contribution to the promotion of the ICH safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific region, through implementing the capacity-building strategy launched by UNESCO, and through providing training workshops for the purpose of enhancing the capacity of the Asia-Pacific Member States of UNESCO in safeguarding ICH, particularly by strengthening the capacities of concerned personnel.
The diversified ICH transmitted from generation to generation, present at the territory of China and ASEAN member states, constitutes the mainspring of the cultural diversity of the region. However, in the process of economic globalization and regional development, many of the valuable intangible cultural heritage face threats, even in danger of extinction. Therefore, it is the shared aspiration and common interest for China and ASEAN countries to better transmit and safeguard intangible cultural heritage while pursuing economic, scientific and technological achievements, achieving a perfect combination of traditions with modernity, and eventually strive to seek a sustainable development path suitable to the regional context.