Spring Festival Joins UNESCO Heritage | Generated by AI
Question: On December 4, 2024, which Chinese cultural element was inscribed by UNESCO onto the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity?
- A. Spring Festival
- B. Dragon Boat Festival
- C. Mid-Autumn Festival
- D. Double Ninth Festival
Answer: A — Spring Festival ✅
Explanation
On December 4, 2024, UNESCO inscribed “Spring Festival — social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of the traditional new year” on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The decision was made during the 19th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, held in Asunción, Paraguay, from December 2 to 7, 2024.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Dragon Boat Festival (端午节): Was inscribed by UNESCO much earlier, in 2009, not 2024.
- C. Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋节): Has not been separately inscribed on the UNESCO ICH Representative List.
- D. Double Ninth Festival (重阳节): Has not been inscribed on the UNESCO ICH Representative List.
Key Facts About This Inscription
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Element Inscribed | Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) |
| Date | December 4, 2024 |
| Venue | 19th UNESCO ICH Committee Session, Asunción, Paraguay |
| Full Official Name | “Spring Festival — social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of the traditional new year” |
| China’s Total UNESCO ICH Items | 44 (most of any country in the world) |
Starting from 2024, the Spring Festival has been officially listed as a UN floating holiday in its calendar of conferences and meetings; it is a public holiday in almost 20 countries and is celebrated in various ways by about one-fifth of humanity.
In 2023, China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism initiated the campaign to apply for UNESCO’s recognition of the Spring Festival. In August of the same year, Spring Festival became the only Chinese application for UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2024.
References:
- UNESCO inscribes Spring Festival on intangible cultural heritage list — Chinese Government
- China’s Spring Festival inscribed as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage — Global Times
- UNESCO inscribes Spring Festival, promoting exchanges among civilizations — People’s Daily