Dingwangtai is never short of cultural heritage. Liu Fa, the King of Changsha Kingdom during the Western Han Dynasty (202 BCE–8 CE), built a platform here to gaze toward his mother, a story that still moves people to tears. A century ago, the Hunan Library was established at this site, where young Mao Zedong once immersed himself in intense study. Later, when the Hunan Library relocated to Shaoshan Road, the Changsha Library and the Changsha Xiang Opera Protection and Inheritance Center moved in successively. The cultural lineage here is long and unending, thriving continuously.

But who could have imagined that such a cultural treasure trove would once fall into near oblivion? The building's exterior walls were peeling, old ceramic tiles were cracking extensively, and the wooden doors and windows were rotten and deformed, barely meeting basic office needs, let alone displaying opera cultural relics. This left high-quality intangible cultural heritage resources confined to the site, unable to be exhibited, and completely failing to meet the demands of integrated cultural and tourism development.

In October 2025, under the guidance of the Changsha Municipal Bureau of Culture, Tourism, Radio, and Television, and led by the Changsha Xiang Opera Protection and Inheritance Center and the Changsha Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center, a renovation project was jointly initiated with the Changsha Library, the Changsha Huagu (Flower-drum) Opera Protection and Inheritance Center, and others. On April 29, 2026, the Changsha Drama Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition Center officially opened in Dingwangtai. The old facades were transformed into a new cultural space, creating a new base for intangible cultural heritage inheritance—the intangible cultural heritage skills, once silent in the passage of time, finally revive.

The newly upgraded Changsha Drama Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition Center has a usable area of over 330 square meters. Based on a public welfare and accessibility orientation, the center delves deep into the cultural lineage of Hunan, creating a compact and exquisite urban intangible cultural heritage space where the ambiance of daily life and scholarly elegance coexist. Currently, the venue is framed by three major thematic exhibition areas, centered around "Excellent Changsha Dramas," "Excellent Changsha Goods," and "Excellent Changsha Books." It is complemented by two characteristic spaces: an Intangible Cultural Heritage Master Studio and an Opera Live-streaming Room, achieving an integrated operational model of "protection and inheritance, research and teaching, creation and production, publicity and exchange, and experience and consumption." The entire spatial design echoes the narrative thread of the classic Xiang opera "Wangmutai" (Platform for Gazing at Mother). Through scenario creation, residents can listen, watch, and reflect, immersively experiencing the rich charm of Hunan's opera culture.

Here, intangible cultural heritage is not an old artifact displayed in a showcase, but a living tradition that can be seen, touched, and learned. "A City of Fine Goods, Encountering in Star City"—the Excellent Changsha Goods Boutique Exhibition is on permanent display here. Intangible cultural heritage items such as Xiang embroidery, Changsha Tongguan kiln ceramics, chrysanthemum stone carvings, and Gushan inkstones are dazzlingly arrayed, available for both viewing and purchase. Representative inheritors of intangible cultural heritage are in residence, teaching residents and tourists to try their hands at traditional crafts. Many "Youth of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Class" regularly participate in intangible cultural heritage classes and themed activities here. From listening to operas to learning them, from observing crafts to trying them hands-on, these youths are imperceptibly becoming a new force in cultural inheritance. People come, drawn by its reputation, to feel the craftsmanship of the Huxiang region through hands-on creation, truly bringing intangible cultural heritage to "life" and making it a "small blessing" that brightens daily life.

Since its official operation, the Changsha Drama Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition Center has gradually become a new must-see cultural and tourism spot in the Wuyi Business District. It connects the culture of the old Changsha book market with local drama intangible cultural heritage resources, allowing traditional arts hidden in the alleys to enter the streets of Dingwangtai and integrate into the daily lives of the people.

When the Dragon Boat Festival coincides with the National Cultural and Natural Heritage Day, a city-wide Dragon Boat Festival themed series of events will be held as scheduled. Themed "Visiting the Hometown of Qu Yuan and Jia Yi, Appreciating Dragon Boat Festival Intangible Cultural Heritage," the events are planned by the Changsha Municipal Bureau of Culture, Tourism, Radio, and Television and the Changsha Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center. As one of the core main venues, the Changsha Drama Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition Center will set up an immersive Dragon Boat Festival intangible cultural heritage life scenario. Themed check-in spots and an intangible cultural heritage market will be arranged outdoors. The reception space on the second floor of the venue will host public welfare intangible cultural heritage classes. Inside, the small stage will feature successive performances of classic Huxiang opera specials, accompanied by all-day online opera live streaming, opening a dual channel for offline physical experience and online appreciation.

What is worth anticipating is that on the National Cultural and Natural Heritage Day, which falls on June 13 this year, the Changsha Intangible Cultural Heritage Mini Program will be officially launched. The program will integrate an intangible cultural heritage map, online courses, popular information, and an intangible cultural heritage product mall, enabling residents to enjoy digital intangible cultural heritage services at home.

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

Translator: Yu Jiangjiang

Chinese source: hunan.gov.cn