Hong Kong to formulate measures to promote local ICH

After Yu Lan Ghost Festival of the Hong Kong Chiu Chow Community (Feeding Hungry Ghost Festival) was successfully listed in the third batch of China's national-level intangible cultural heritage (IHC), Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government would join hands with the Federation of Hong Kong Chiu Chow Community Organizations and the Chiu Chow Community to manage the follow-up work. Meanwhile, concrete measures would be formulated to preserve, promote and inherit ICH items, said Zeng Decheng on August 31, Director of the Home Affairs Bureau of Hong Kong.

Zeng Decheng said on the celebration dinner party that, Yu Lan Ghost Festival promotes the traditional values of "to carefully attend to the funeral rites of parents", "to held the weak and poor" and "solidarity", which are all among the essence of Chinese culture.

Zeng Decheng added, Hong Kong Heritage Museum is working with the Chiu Chow Community so as to implement the protection plans raised in ICH application, including promotion, research, materials collection and book publication, as well as encouraging interested youth to join.

"Hon Kong government is conducting ICH census, which is expected to be finished in 2012 when an ICH list will come out. It will help formulate protection measures to protect, promote and inherit Hong Kong IHC," said Zeng.

Yu Lan Ghost Festival of the Hong Kong Chiu Chow Community is a kind of Chao Shan inheritance customs. It is held in lunar July every year and lasts for a month.