2017 BMW China Culture Journey Festival opened for free for public in Beijing from Nov. 10 to Nov.12. The Intangible Cultural Heritage Creative Ambassadors Summer Jike (music), Sara Yun (fashion), Heymy (gourmet) and Gao Yiqiang (handicraft), together with inheritors, present their crossover creative works at the Gala Night of the Festival. BMW China Culture Journey Festival upgraded to series of interactive experience events instead of static exhibition in the past.

At the Gala Night, Dr. Johann Wieland, President & CEO of BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd., remarked, "As the iconic program of BMW strategic corporate social responsibility, BMW China Culture Journey is now entering its consecutive eleventh year and upgraded to ‘sustainable public platforms’ geared to concentrate social resources and integrate intangible cultural heritage into modern life. The successful achievements of BMW China Culture Journey in recent years have fully embodied BMW’s strategic corporate social responsibility philosophy of ‘teaching a man how to fish is better than giving him a fish’. In the future, we will continue to work in an innovative, efficient and sustainable way to safeguard and promote Chinese traditional culture and create more shared value for Chinese society."

Meanwhile, the 10 intangible cultural heritage inheritors selected from 2017 BMW China Culture Journey Visit in Hunan have successfully completed their studies at the Tsinghua BMW Innovation Center for Intangible Cultural Heritage Safeguarding. A grand graduation ceremony for these inheritors was held at the Gala Night. Subsequently, they, along with other inheritors from Innovation Center, displayed and sold their unique and creative works at the Festival.

BMW China Culture Journey has consistently supported the inheritance and safeguarding of Chinese traditional culture for 11 years. To help integrate intangible cultural heritage into modern life, BMW China Culture Journey continues to explore innovative models of intangible cultural heritage safeguarding, which is achieved in two approaches: innovative communication to promote intangible cultural heritage and innovative methods to promote the use and consumption of intangible cultural heritage works.

Innovative Communication to Promote Intangible Cultural Heritage

Following the tremendous success of “BMW China Culture Journey Sichuan Intangible Cultural Heritage Tour Guide” published in 2016, BMW China Culture Journey, in collaboration with the well-known travel website Mafengwo, continues to explore the crossover of “intangible cultural heritage + tourism” and therefore launched the second series of intangible cultural heritage-themed tour guide, “BMW China Culture Journey Hunan Intangible Cultural Heritage Tour Guide”, to encourage young people to visit Hunan and experience up close the great charm of intangible cultural heritage. Featuring both text and pictures, the tour guide uses detailed first-hand information to present a comprehensive and in-depth display of the rich and colorful intangible cultural heritage items available in Hunan. The guide is now available to view at the website and the APP of Mafengwo, as well as from other channels.

Innovative Methods to Promote the Use and Consumption of Intangible Cultural Heritage Works

In August this year, BMW China Culture Journey initiated the Intangible Cultural Heritage Crossover Incubation Program. Intangible cultural heritage crossover creative ambassadors from different fields, as well as inheritors, were invited to jointly create crossover works featuring core elements of intangible cultural heritage. After more than three months of incubation, the Program has achieved several spectacular results. At the Gala Night, the ambassadors and inheritors jointly launched their first-ever stunning crossover creations to the public.

A piece of crossover music fused with Hunan intangible cultural heritage elements: Ambassador Summer Jike, together with inheritors of Miao Geteng, developed the first-ever pop song which blends elements of Hunan’s intangible cultural heritage.

A set of crossover fashion pieces featuring Hunan’s profound intangible cultural heritage traditions: Ambassador Sara Yun has drew upon Hunan Embroidery, Dabujiang Embroidered Patchworks, Taoyuan Embroidery and Miao Silver Accessories, to design the “SARAYUN-Treasure”. This desirable set of fashion pieces, featuring strong cultural traditions and an avant-garde style, aims to illustrate the aesthetic charm of traditional Chinese culture to young people.

A set of crossover gourmet specialties integrating features of Hunan’s intangible cultural heritage: Ambassador Heymy has adopted the elements of Hunan local cuisine to present “a bite of intangible cultural heritage”. Subsequently, this series of crossover gourmet dishes will feature on the menus of the CHERCHEZ 10 Restaurant in Beijing and the Joy Café at BMW Experience Shanghai in Pudong to provide more opportunities for people to taste the crossover innovation.

A series of crossover handicraft works featuring core intangible cultural heritage techniques: BMW car owner representative Gao Yiqiang and inheritors have used traditional craftsmanship such as Tantou Handmade Papermaking to jointly design utensils for daily life, including tableware, hollowed light holders and vases. Such designs showcase to the public with the concept of “integrating intangible cultural heritage into modern life” at the Creative Lifestyle Showrooms during the Festival.

The 2017 BMW China Culture Journey Festival invites intangible cultural heritage inheritors from around China to proudly showcase and promote creative products which feature the beauty of intangible cultural heritage, in the way of handicraft bazaar, interactive experience and a range of other exciting formats for public engagement.