Plan Aims To Save Dying Folk Culture

　　The 10 varieties of folk arts include New Year pictures made in Wuqiang of Hebei Province, traditional cotton spinning technique of the Li minority in Hainan Province and shadow play from Qingyang County of Gansu Province.

　　The central government has earmarked 20 million yuan ($2.4 million USD ) this year for the project, part of which will directly benefit the 10 folk arts, Zhou said.

　　Despite the government's efforts, the vice-minister stressed raising the public's awareness of the importance of protecting folk culture.

　　"Experts like me act like a bridge," said Zi. "After we and the masses have fully understood each other in the field, I believe people can always think of better methods to protect the endangered folk culture."

　　·Beijing Revives Tianqiao Folk Art

　　As Beijing is undergoing tremendous changes on its way to becoming a modern metropolis, traditional Tianqiao folk art, an art representing the old Beijing culture for the general public, is gradually disappearing from people's minds. Now someone is trying to save it. Wang Shusheng, a renowned painter and a member of the Chaoyang District Committee of China's top advisory body the CPPCC, is working hard for the revival of the Tianqiao folk art. In response to his call, the Huasheng Tianqiao Folk Art Culture Street was recently founded in east Beijing, with the aim to bring the old folk art back to life.

　　Between the end of the Qing Dynasty and the early period of the Republic of China, Tianqiao (Bridge of Heaven) was a bustling place, where folk artists entertained the public with their amazing acrobatic feats or wrestling skills, and small theaters.

　　Teahouses and antique shops proliferated. Shops that sold flowers, birds, insects, and goldfishes thrived. Many renowned folk artists, such as Liu Baoquan, Hou Baolin, Liu Baorui, and Xin Fengxia, gave t performances there for quite some time. 　　

　　The newly established Huasheng Tianqiao Folk Art Culture Street covers an area of a bit more than 2 hectares near Panjiayuan and inside the street, traditional folk arts are performed once again. One can find almost every type of the old Beijing folk art here, in the wrestling arenas, small theaters, teahouses, and storytelling rooms. Antiques, traditional Chinese paintings, calligraphy scrolls, shops selling lovely plants, flowers and pet animals can be found here. Acrobats perform acrobatics and street hawkers sell a variety of snacks to audiences. Some shops also sell traditional local products. The culture street has become a new place for people to enjoy traditional old Beijing folk culture. 　　

　　To Wang, the important thing is to keep and display the genuine elements of folk art. At present, several hundred old timers and their apprentices have moved to the culture street to display their unique skills to the public, such as stabbing the throat with two spears, sawing the stomach with a steel knife, hitting the head with steel blades, rolling water jars, swallowing the iron ball and sword, face changing, performing the lion dance, and juggling with a big pole.