As the final lacquer fan finished drying, the 2025 "BMH Intangible Cultural Heritage Experience Week" drew to a successful close. This annual pre-summer activity for BMH students, guided throughout by the Chinese Language teachers, aimed to immerse students in the charm of ICH and foster appreciation for China's cultural heritage.
Students engaged deeply with six remarkable ICH crafts:
Peking Opera Masks
& Bolang Drums
Students painted Peking Opera masks – where colors symbolize character traits – and creatively decorated these onto historic bolang drums, crafting unique and playful artworks.
Learning about kites' evolution from military tools to recreational objects, students framed bamboo skeletons, painted designs, and experienced the joy of launching their own creations skyward, embracing the spirit of freedom.
Students learned the ancient craft blending fan-making and lacquerwork. Painting landscapes and birds on fan surfaces, they created elegant pieces of art combining utility and aesthetic value.
Mother-of-Pearl
Inlay Exploration
Working with shell fragments, students practiced cutting, polishing, and inlaying patterns, experiencing the craft's iridescent glow and appreciation for natural beauty.
Creating Cloisonné Paintings
Adapting traditional cloisonné technique to flat art, students bent copper wires to outline shapes and filled them with vibrant enamel colors, experiencing the unique fusion of metallic texture and vitreous luster.
Students learned the art of shaping metal foil with heat, creating simple foil art bookmarks and gaining insight into the precise control of temperature and material.
More than just cultural education, this event was a vibrant, hands-on journey into living heritage. Teachers provided clear and engaging explanations, enabling students to literally feel the pulse of history through their fingertips. As summer break begins, may these ICH encounters spark a lasting interest in exploring traditional culture. We wish every student a fulfilling and joyful summer, rich with growth and discovery