The hunt for heirs to keep the city's culture alive

The city is trying to find suitable heirs to ensure some of its unique cultural artistry is preserved.

The city has 32 representative heirs to pieces of national intangible cultural heritage such as Gu's embroidery, Beijing Opera and Kunqu Opera, but half of them are older than 70 years. The eldest one, a Kunqu Opera singer, is 101 years old.

City officials believe it is time other heirs should be found so that the cultural heritage is preserved.

"Artists in Taiwan have two or three apprentices when they are around 50 or 60 yeas old, and retire after the apprentices are skilled," said Zhang Guo'en, an artist with the Shanghai Arts and Crafts Institute.

But some cultural heritage is not as popular today and this makes it hard to find committed heirs.

"The majority of young adults, like new graduates, have no interest in crafts and local arts. We might have to change our thinking and consider people who have just retired," said advisor Zhu Minyan.

Zhou Hanmin, the vice chairman of the Shanghai Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said that college and training schools should encourage major degrees in cultural heritage subjects.

To look after the current heirs, the city government gives subsidies worth 2,000 yuan (US$281) a year to each heir over 70 years.

Shanghai started collating local cultural heritage works three years ago, and has so far listed 33 national intangible cultural heritage items and 83 city-level items.