MKS sports East China's Jiangsu Province, on July 23, 2024. Opened in 2021, the museum showcases the historic and cultural value of the Nanjing city wall from various aspects. Photo: IC" src="https://www.globaltimes.cn/Portals/0/attachment/2024/2024-07-23/4ac01f75-084b-4277-bbde-1d0a2b124260.jpeg" />

Visitors explore an exhibition at the Nanjing City Wall Museum in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province, on July 23, 2024. Opened in 2021, the museum showcases the historic and cultural value of the Nanjing city wall from various aspects. Photo: IC

 
Some of the nation's legislators and political advisors at the ongoing two sessions have turned their attention to the protection and global recognition of cultural heritage as in 2025 a number of Chinese heritage sites and traditions, including the city walls of the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911), embroidery and Chinese hard liquor, will vie for official UNESCO status. 

Among those introducing proposals, Long Xiang, chairman of the Standing Committee of the Nanjing Municipal People's Congress, is advocating for the expedited inclusion of the Nanjing City Wall onto the World Heritage List.

In 2024, China's National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA) included the "City Walls of the Ming and Qing Dynasties" on its UNESCO World Heritage tentative list.  The Nanjing City Wall is one of them.

"The Nanjing City Wall possesses outstanding value," Long noted. Constructed in 1366, it stands as a paragon of southern China's urban defense systems and the culmination of ancient Chinese capital city planning. Originally stretching 35.27 kilometers with 25.09 kilometers still intact, it remains the world's longest and largest brick city wall, boasting remarkable preservation and structural integrity.

Jingzhou City Wall, another candidate from the 14 city walls of the Ming and Qing dynasties on the tentative list, also carries profound historical significance. 

"It is remarkable that the core layout of the wall has remained largely unchanged since the Three Kingdoms era [220-280]," Li Zhenggui, director of the Ancient Architecture Department of the Jingzhou Museum, told the Global Times.

According to Li, despite centuries of war, natural disasters, and erosion, successive dynasties from the Tang (618-907) to the Qing (1644-1911) dynasties continuously restored these walls, a testament to China's architectural ingenuity.

The two sessions have also seen proposals for other intangible cultural heritage (ICH) nominations, including the production techniques of embroidery and Baijiu (Chinese hard liquor). Suzhou-style embroidery artist Yao Jianping is advocating for the inclusion of Chinese embroidery on UNESCO's ICH list. She envisions embroidery, a fine art of needle and thread dazzling the global stage, and adding a vivid thread of Chinese craftsmanship to the tapestry of world heritage. 

"Embroidery has a broad industrial footprint, directly employing over a million people and indirectly benefiting tens of millions across the textile, design, and cultural tourism sectors," Yao noted. She highlighted how embroidery's resurgence in specialized towns has prompted young people, who once sought employment elsewhere, to return home and secure stable incomes while preserving traditional techniques - an exemplary case of cultural economics at work.

Similarly, Zeng Na, an inheritor of the traditional brewing techniques of liquor, put forth a proposal calling for the acceleration of Baijiu's application for UNESCO status. While six alcoholic beverage traditions worldwide have already been recognized as ICH, China's signature liquor remains absent from both UNESCO's tangible and intangible heritage lists.

As these nominations push forward, discussions on cultural heritage preservation have also intensified, in which actively navigating the digital transformation of heritage conservation is a must.

In December 2022, Nanjing launched an immersive digital restoration project that included the unveiling of a 3D virtual map of the Ming Dynasty capital. The frontfacing display meticulously reconstructs the city's layered fortifications, waterways, bridges, and iconic sites, while the reverse side offers an intricate depiction of its inner structures, from palaces and government halls to temples, markets, and military camps.

For Chinese embroidery, digitization also represents a crucial breakthrough in enhancing global recognition.  

"Technology helps transcends physical boundaries," Yao remarked. "Through digital platforms, embroidery masterpieces can reach a worldwide audience, vastly expanding market opportunities." 

She emphasized that high-definition imaging and 3D modeling could offer consumers an intricate view of embroidery details, enhancing appreciation and demand. 

"The digitization of ICH includes various aspects, primarily focusing on the people behind these traditions. Digital recording and preservation serve not only as a safeguard for future generations, but also as a resource for analysis, research, and understanding the evolution of these cultural practices," Zhou Xueying, a professor with the School of History at Nanjing University, told the Global Times on Sunday.

In line with this digital push, Zhang Jingjing, dean of the International School of Jingdezhen Ceramic University, proposed the establishment of a national-level ICH digitization initiative. Her vision includes setting up experimental digital heritage labs, developing AI-powered systems for pattern generation and craftsmanship optimization, and creating a cross-platform digital asset management system to standardize and safeguard cultural resources. She also advocated for integrating ICH with gaming and immersive experiences to modernize cultural storytelling, and ensure that China's legacy continues to thrive in the digital age.

"With rapid advancements in technology, diverse digital tools provide a strong foundation for preservation efforts. Looking ahead, enhancing visual documentation through immersive methods and virtual environments will be key," Zhou noted. 

"As AI and other technologies continue to evolve, the protection and utilization of ICH will continue to improve and evolve with the times."