Cultural and Natural Heritage Day: Protecting national treasures, retaining cultural roots

　　June 8 marks China's eighth "Cultural and Natural Heritage Day". According to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, China currently has 57 World Heritage sites, ranking second worldwide. This includes 14 natural heritage sites and 4 cultural and natural dual heritage sites, both of which lead the world in number.

　　Cultural and natural heritage carry the genes and bloodline of the Chinese nation, sustaining the continuation and extension of Chinese civilization. In the process of protecting, inheriting, and utilizing natural and cultural heritage, the intellectual property (IP) system provides solid support, driving the creative transformation and innovative development of fine traditional Chinese culture, allowing the wisdom of Chinese civilization to shine in the new era.

　　Technology empowers preservation and utilization of cultural relics

　　On June 8, the main event of the 2024 Cultural and Natural Heritage Day themed "Protecting Cultural Relics, Inheriting Civilization" was held in the host city Shenyang of Liaoning Province. A series of forefront innovative achievements in cultural relic excavation and protection were showcased, involving areas such as the origin tracing of metal materials and the active use and protection of traditional villages.

　　This year's Cultural and Natural Heritage Day saw over 7,300 related activities organized by cultural and museum institutions across different regions, involving over 3,400 public benefit services including research, exhibitions, and lectures, making the achievements in cultural relic protection and utilization available for all to share.

　　In recent years, museums have been using cutting-edge technologies to "awaken" the innovative and creative genes embedded in cultural heritage, driving a museum craze.

　　The National Museum of China (NMC) has taken the lead in using technology to keep cultural relics alive. It collaborated to produce the AI micro-drama "King Fuchai of Wu's Bronze Sword" in partnership with the Communication University of China, and created virtual digital humans "Ai Wenwen" and "Tong Gujin". Data collection is the key to management and development of cultural relics for museums. Li Huabiao, Director of the Data Management and Analysis Center at the NMC, told our reporter that the museum has a leading team for two-dimensional and three-dimensional data collection of cultural relics in China. The team consolidates collected data into a big data platform for artifacts, forming a data storage management system. By the end of 2023, the NMC had amassed 1.6 million two-dimensional image data and 7,000 three-dimensional model data of cultural relics, initially achieving the goal of a smooth data circulation.

　　Innovatively protecting rural specialities

　　This year's Cultural and Natural Heritage Day coincided with the Dragon Boat Festival, offering an array of geographical indication (GI) products and intangible cultural heritage (ICH) activities related to the festival. The traditional cultural essence of the festival deeply integrated with tourism development, showcasing vibrant vitality.

　　On June 10, the 2024 Cultural and Natural Heritage Day ICH promotion, exhibition, and sales main event of Gansu Province and the 19th Qingyang Fragrant Bag Folk Culture Festival were held in Qingyang City. Qingyang fragrant bag, distinct for its diverse expression techniques and rich ecological culture, was granted GI product protection in 2014. Over the years, Qingyang fragrant bags have become a symbol of Qingyang's distinctive folk culture, with over 100,000 people employed and products exported to more than 20 countries and regions.

　　As one of the key ICH events of this year's Cultural and Natural Heritage Day, the "Diverse Weather – Chinese Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Practice Theme Exhibition" opened at the China Intangible Cultural Heritage Museum, displaying over 600 items and sets from more than 100 Chinese national-level ICH representative projects. Among them, the "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Kite Group" and "Twenty-Four Solar Terms Dragon Head Kite", crafted over a month by inheritors of the national ICH project Weifang kite-making skills, hung in the exhibition hall, lifelike in form and dazzling in color, attracting visitors to take photos.

　　With the support of IP, today, the vibrant cultural heritage and majestic natural heritage are increasingly showing new vitality and vigor.(by Li Qian/Dou Xinying/Hou Wei)

　　6月8日是中国第八个“文化和自然遗产日”。记者从中国国家林业和草原局获悉，目前中国世界遗产总数达57项，位居世界第二，其中包含世界自然遗产14项、文化和自然双遗产4项，数量均居世界首位。

　　文化和自然遗产承载着中华民族的基因和血脉，维系着中华文明的赓续与绵延。在自然和文化遗产保护、传承和利用的过程中，知识产权制度提供坚实保障，推动中华优秀传统文化创造性转化、创新性发展，让中华文明的智慧结晶在新时代绽放出新的光彩。

　　科技赋能文物保护利用

　　6月8日，主题为“保护文物 传承文明”的2024年文化和自然遗产日主场城市活动在辽宁省沈阳市举行，一批文物挖掘与保护前沿创新成果精彩亮相，涉及金属物料产地的溯源、传统村落保护与活态利用等多个领域。

　　据介绍，今年“文化和自然遗产日”期间，各地文博单位结合地域特色组织开展相关活动7300余项，其中推出研学、展览展示、专题讲座等文物惠民服务3400余项，让文物保护利用成果实现全民共享。

　　近年来，为充分挖掘文物和文化遗产的多重价值，各地博物馆各显神通，运用前沿技术“唤醒”文化遗产蕴含的创新创造基因，掀起了一波“文博热”。

　　携手中国传媒大学推出AI文物微短剧《吴王夫差青铜剑》；打造虚拟数智人“艾雯雯”“仝古今”……中国国家博物馆（下称国博）在利用科技赋能让文物“活起来”方面一直走在前列。文物数据采集是博物馆进行馆藏文物资源管理与开发的关键。国博数据管理与分析中心主任李华飙向本报记者介绍，国博拥有国内领先的文物数据二维、三维采集团队，团队将采集到的数据汇聚到藏品大数据平台，形成数据的存储管理体系。截至2023年底，国博共有160万张文物二维影像数据和7000件文物三维模型数据，并初步实现了畅通数据大循环的目标。

　　守正创新传承“一地之宝”

　　今年“文化和自然遗产日”恰逢端午节假期，与端午节相关的地理标志好物琳琅满目、非遗活动丰富多彩，传统节日的浓厚文化内涵与旅游发展深度融合，呈现出勃勃生机。

　　6月10日，甘肃省2024年“文化和自然遗产日”非遗宣传展示展销主会场系列活动暨第十九届庆阳香包民俗文化节在庆阳市举行。庆阳香包以表现手法多样、原生态文化味浓等特点区别于其他香包，于2014年获地理标志产品保护。在多年的传承中，庆阳香包已成为庆阳特色民俗文化的代表符号，从业人员多达10万人以上，产品出口20多个国家和地区。

　　作为今年“文化和自然遗产日”非遗宣传展示重点活动之一，中国非物质文化遗产馆“气象万千——中国非遗保护实践主题展”展出100余项、600多件（套）中国国家级非遗代表性项目。由中国国家级非遗潍坊风筝制作技艺传承人历时一个月制作的“百鸟朝凤风筝组群”和“二十四节气龙头风筝”悬挂在展厅上空，造型栩栩如生、色彩绚丽斑斓，吸引参观者纷纷驻足拍照。

　　在知识产权的助力下，如今，多姿多彩的文化遗产与雄奇秀美的自然遗产不断焕发出新的生机与活力。（李倩 窦新颖 侯伟）

（文章来源：中国知识产权报 原标题：中国开展“文化和自然遗产日”系列活动——守护民族瑰宝 留住文化根脉）