Intangible cultural heritage exhibition

The 3rd China International Photography Biennale: Intangible Cultural Heritage-Living Fossil of Human Spirit kicked off at the National Art Museum of China on Saturday.

The exhibition boasts over 150 photographs that will allow visitors a look at the intangible cultural heritage of both China and the rest of the world.

Besides the over 80 photos from China, there are also more than 70 photos from over 20 countries and regions including France, Belgium and Argentina.

Photos from China show the traditional handicrafts and customs from every corner of the country, including Tibetans praying to a giant portrait of Buddha, wenxi huamo -buns made into different colors and shapes - from Shanxi Province, Muqam Art from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and pictures of traditional Chinese New Year decorations from Yangjiabu, Shandong Province.

To enrich the exhibition, pictures from overseas show the tradition, culture and customs from countries such as Austria, South Korea, Bolivia, Spain, Iran, Italy and Mexico to name a few.

"Intangible cultural heritage is the life memory and cultural DNA of humanity through time. Although intangible it is an intellectual treasure that can help bridge the gap between different countries," noted Jia Leilei, vice president of the Chinese National Academy of Arts.

"The exhibition reveals intangible cultural heritage from across the world, which can allow people to see cultural heritage from a global perspective while also enabling people from different cultures to deepen their understanding of each other," Jia added.

The first biennale in the series focused on the lives of ordinary people, showing the details of people's lives over a period of more than 130 years and allowing visitors to see the huge changes the country has gone through over the past century.

The exhibition is scheduled to be displayed in the third and seventh hall at the National Art Museum of China until May 26.