On April 19, 15 international students from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, hailing from nine countries including the United States, Russia, Italy, South Korea, and Laos, visited Paibi Banli Village in Shuanglong Town, Huayuan County, in the Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture. The students immersed themselves in traditional Miao batik techniques under the guidance of Shi Jiezhong, a county-level inheritor of the Miao batik cultural heritage, experiencing the unique charm of fine traditional Chinese culture.

Teachers and international students from the Central Academy of Fine Arts take a group photo with Paibi Banli villagers. (Photo/Long Honggao)

International students show their Batik creations. (Photo/Long Honggao)

Wax melting, drawing, waxing, dyeing, and dewaxing, each of these traditional processes was an eye-opener for the international students. "I've been in China for 13 years, but this is my first time trying batik, a unique way of painting. It's really hard, but also a lot of fun," said an international student from Italy.

Shi Jiezhong, an inheritor of the Miao batik cultural heritage, discusses the batik-making process with an international student. (Photo/Long Honggao)

From technique exchanges with neighboring villages, to intangible cultural heritage performances at the provincial and prefectural levels, to attracting international students for dedicated visits, Paibi Banli Village has steadily promoted its intangible cultural heritage items to the outside world. "Bringing Miao batik to more international friends is a great opportunity for us to boost our intangible cultural heritage to go global. It is very meaningful." Shi Jiezhong remarked with deep feelings.

As one of the first traditional Chinese villages and a demonstration site of intangible cultural heritage villages in Hunan Province, Paibi Banli Village boasts nine intangible cultural heritage items, including Miao batik, Miao embroidery, and Badai sacrificial rituals. There are also 12 officially recognized practicing inheritors of these traditions at various levels in the village.

In recent years, Paibi Banli has leveraged its rich intangible cultural resources to explore an "intangible cultural heritage + study tour" development model, attracting a growing number of university students, faculty, and domestic and international visitors for experiential tours.

This article is from Hunan Provincial Government. www.enghunan.gov.cn.  

Translator: Pang Yuehui

Chinese source: hunantoday