China to expand 'intangible culture' lessons: Ministry

Kids wait on the backstage at the National Peking Opera Theatre of China during a summer camp featuring Peking Opera in Beijing, China, July 29, 2008. [Xinhua]

After introducing Peking Opera to primary and middle schools, China plans to add more aspects of the nation's intangible cultural heritage to the curriculum, such as paper-cuts, folksongs and crafts.

Vice Culture Minister Zhou Heping told a national meeting on Tuesday that his ministry was working with the Ministry of Education to achieve this goal, which was meant to "arouse students' interest and enhance their understanding of their heritage."

The Ministry of Education launched a pilot program in late February to introduce Peking Opera at 20 elementary and middle schools in 10 provinces.

Training classes aimed at passing on traditional and folk cultures will be initiated, according to Zhou. More than 1,000 people are expected to benefit from the program.

Major efforts have been made to salvage and protect intangible cultural heritage items in areas hit by the May 12 quake. Among these efforts was a planned cultural reservation area for the Qiang ethnic group, he said.