China’s solar terms win UN recognition
Print Edition
UNESCO has included China’s “Twenty-Four Solar Terms” in its list of intangible cultural heritage, along with Cuba’s rumba dance and Belgium’s beer culture.
The decision on the solar terms, knowledge in China of time and practices developed through observation of the sun throughout the year, was announced in Addis Ababa yesterday.
The ancient Chinese divided the sun’s annual motion into 24 segments, calling each segment a specific “solar term.”
The criteria for its formulation were developed through the observation of seasonal changes and other natural phenomena. The terms remain of particular importance to farmers. Some rituals and festivities are associated with the terms, contributing to communities’ cultural identities.
Presenting China’s request, Yonas Desta, chairman of the evaluation body, said: “The evaluation body is pleased to find that the traditional Chinese calendar which has provably influenced the people’s way of thinking and code of conduct continues to be an important carrier of Chinese cultural identity. It continues to provide the time frame for the everyday life and communal events to this date.”
Zhang Ling, an official with the Chinese delegation, said: “As a traditional knowledge system of time that enjoys thousands of years of intergenerational transmission, the 24 Solar Terms clearly embody the concepts of respect for nature, and harmony between man and nature.”
China’s delight at the decision was shared by Cuba, for its sensual rumba dance, and Belgium for its thriving beer culture.
The UN body said the rumba evokes “grace, sensuality and joy.” It also said that “making and appreciating beer is part of the living heritage ... throughout Belgium”.
The Cuban delegation to the Addis Ababa meeting dedicated the rumba’s selection to late longtime leader Fidel Castro.
UNESCO noted that Belgium produces some 1,500 types of beer, while in Cuba, because the rumba sprang from poor communities, the dance is an enduring “expression of resistance and self-esteem.”
Its World Heritage Committee also enshrined the March 21 new year celebrations of 12 countries stretching from Turkey to India, as well as Bangladesh’s April 14 new year festival.
The list of intangible cultural treasures was created 10 years ago, mainly to increase awareness, while UNESCO also sometimes offers financial or technical support.
On Tuesday, the UN body designated Ugandan traditional music, dying out partly because it requires materials from endangered species, as intangible heritage “in urgent need of safeguarding.”
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