“Getting to Know Heilongjiang” Series—Heilongjiang Cultural Heritage

Heilongjiang Province is a multi-ethnic frontier province as well as a migrant province. Of the total population, 90% belong to Han People. Though the population of ethnic minority is small, the number of peoples is large: 10 national minorities which lives in generation after generation, including Manchu, Hui, Korean, Mongolian, Daur, Olunchun, Owenke, Khalkhas, Hoche, and Xibe nationalities. These native peoples’ historical migrations as well as folklore are mostly supported by inhabited communities. Among them, Manchu, Mongolian, Olunchun, Owenke and Daur are rich in the myth of inheritance. Since ancient times, lengthy Chinese musical telling on heroic subject matters have been handed down among the people of Hoche, Olunchun and Daur nationalities, such as Yimakan of Hoche, Mosukun of Olunchun and Wuqin of Daur. These epic Chinese musical telling is the precious treasure of Heilongjiang national culture.

In modern times, the multi-ethnic frontier province of Heilongjiang has gradually formed the frontier and national civilization properties which is compatible with the nature of the Western civilization characteristics. Since the beginning of Qing Dynasty the “Exiles” and the migrants from inside the Pass after the “Dragon Prospering lands” lifted the ban, the excellent Chinese tradition brought with them, various folklore inside the Pass and Heilongjiang’s indigenous culture have fused together. At the beginning of the twentieth century, Heilongjiang, especially Harbin, Heihe, Suifenhe port have become international trade center. The impact and communication between various civilized properties of different nations and peoples embodied in architecture, religion, culture, education, health and other aspects of the Eastern and Western nations like Russia, Japan, German, Holland and France, and the local culture of Heilongjiang constitute a major part of the modern civilization of Heilongjiang drainage areas.

Heilongjiang Province is rich in intangible cultural heritage resources, some of which have already been absorbed into the creation work of various categories of literature and art; thus, large numbers of excellent works have been created, some of which have been ranked in the tourism and cultural industries so as to produce social and economic benefits. Heilongjiang Provincial Government claimed the first list of provincial intangible cultural heritage, 57 items totally, on March 27th, 2007, of which 9 items labeled with ★ is in the rank of national intangible cultural heritage.