Organizations of Intangible Cultural Heritage

1. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) based in Paris. Its declared purpose is to contribute to peace and security by promoting international collaboration through educational, scientific, and cultural reforms in order to increase universal respect for justice, the rule of law, and human rights along with fundamental freedom proclaimed in the United Nations Charter. UNESCO has 193 member states and 11 associate members. It pursues its objectives through five major programs: education, natural sciences, social/human sciences, culture and communication/information. More about United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

2. World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region (WHITR-AP)

The WHITR-AP is a non-profit organization specialized in the area of heritage conservation.  Furthermore, as a category 2 institute under the auspices of UNESCO, it is the first one that established in the developing countries.  It will be an autonomous institution at the service of Member States and Associate Members of UNESCO.  The Institute’s mission is to strengthen implementation of World Heritage Convention in the Asia and the Pacific region, by building the capacity of all those professionals and bodies involved with World Heritage site inscription, protection, conservation and management in the Asia and the Pacific region, through training, research, the dissemination of information and network building. More about World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for the Asia and the Pacific Region (WHITR-AP).

3. Protection Center of China Intangible Cultural Heritage

The protection center was established on September 14, 2006 at the China academy of arts. The institution is a state-level specialized institution for the protection of intangible cultural heritage, approved by the office of the central organization formulation committee. It undertakes the specific work related to the national intangible cultural heritage protection, performs the policy consultation on the intangible cultural heritage protection; organize the nationwide census; guide the implementation of the protection plan; carry out theoretical research on the protection of intangible cultural heritage; organize academic, exhibition (performance) and public welfare activities to exchange, promote and publicize the achievements and experience of conservation work; and organize the publication of research results and personnel training. More about Protection Center of China Intangible Cultural Heritage. 

4. Expert Committee of China National Intangible Cultural Heritage

According to the general office of the state council on strengthening the opinions of the intangible cultural heritage protection work in China and the notice of the state council on strengthening the protection of cultural heritage, the general office of the ministry of culture decided to set up the Expert Committee of China National Intangible Cultural Heritage to regulate and strengthen the intangible cultural heritage protection work of consulting, demonstration, evaluation and professional guidance, and to promote the intangible cultural heritage protection work. On the basis of solicit opinions from the experts, they also established the charter of Expert Committee of China National Intangible Cultural Heritage. 

5. Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism is a ministry of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China which is responsible for cultural policy and activities and tourism in the country. Its headquarters are in Chaoyang District, Beijing. It was formed on 19 March 2018; its predecessors were the Ministry of Culture and China National Tourism Administration. More about Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China. 

6. China Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Association

China intangible cultural heritage protection association (hereinafter referred to as the intangible cultural heritage association) was established on November 6, 2013. Affiliated to the ministry of culture, it is a legal body of social organizations with the responsibility of protecting and inheriting China’s intangible cultural heritage. Regarding protecting China’s intangible cultural heritage as its duty and making “propaganda, protection, inheritance” as the purpose, it has developed Chinese intangible cultural heritage strategy alliance and conducted the posthumous works for the record, intangible skill training, and other projects, to better inherit and protect the intangible cultural heritage in our country. More about China Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Association.