In the early 2008, the Ministry of Culture publicized 551 representatives of the second group of intangible cultural heritage items at State level, of whom, 22 came from Tibet. In future, Tibet will work to establish the system for intangible cultural heritage protection and development, fully implementing projects concerning the protection and construction of intangible cultural heritage. Efforts will also be made to conduct general survey work regarding intangible cultural heritage and set up archives and databanks. On such a base, Tibet will also make efforts to establish the system of classified protection, gradually, strengthening research, cognizance, preservation and inheritance work.

Foreign Cultural Exchanges

The year 2007 saw extremely frequent foreign cultural exchanges. In January, Branislav Brkic, the president of the Serbia Photographers Association held an exhibition ‘Tibet Today' in Serbia. Some 200 persons from the local government and cultural, educational and press circles as well as photographers attended the opening ceremony. Invited by the State Council Information Office of the PRC and China Photographers Association, Brkic took part in the activity of "Tibet in the Eyes of 100 Photographers" during the period from late June to early July in 2005. He took first place in the activity, with his works truly and vividly reflecting the landscape and social presence of Tibet today. It played an active role in acquainting the people of Serbia with Tibet.

During the September 6-15, "China Tibetan Culture Week" was held in Moscow and Elista, capital of the republic of Kalmykia in southwest Russia, conducting various activities such as exhibitions of Tibetan pictures, Tangka art and Tibetan medicines as well as song and dance performances. As one of the important items in the "National Year" between China and Russia, Tibetan Culture Week not only provided a chance for local people to appreciate the unique landscape and culture of Tibet in a close distance and get further acquainted with the huge changes of Tibet, but also promoted the mutual understanding and traditional friendship between the peoples of the two countries.

On December 19-20, the "China's Tibetan Culture-Katmandu Forum" was held in the Nepalese capital. Its theme was "promoting Sino-Nepalese friendly exchanges and accelerating the protection and development of Tibetan culture". The contents included the speeches, academic exchanges and exhibition of Tibetan pictures. It invited the celebrities from the political, academic, press and religious circles of Nepal and institutions of the UN and many other countries stationed in Nepal. Both Chinese and Nepalese experts and scholars on Tibetan studies as well as big names made plenary speeches. The forum was jointly sponsored by China Association for Protection and Development of Tibetan Culture and Arniko Society of Nepal, with a view to deepening the comprehension of Nepalese people and international friendly personnel on the excellent traditional culture of Tibet, putting up a platform for the foreign exchanges regarding Tibetan culture and promoting the Sino-Nepal Cultural Exchanges and friendly bilateral communications.

The "China Tibet Culture Week" has become a brand name cultural activity for Tibet to show its culture overseas. The first such week was held in Melbourne in 2001, and since then also staged in New Zealand, Canada, Belgium, Thailand, Denmark, Italy and Austria.

Besides the frequent overseas visits of Tibetan delegations, recent years have also seen various localities and departments in Tibet receive visitors from some 20 countries and regions, and some 500 foreign officials, journalists and relative personnel in around 100 groups. These publicize and show the grandeur of Tibetan culture and the much headway made in the economic and social development of Tibet.

(China's Tibet facts and Figures)