The protection of the cultural heritage of the ethnic groups in Southwest China's Yunnan Province is a top agenda item, a key official said.

Xu Facang, deputy director of Yunnan's Cultural Department, urged better care on this matter in his remarks at this week's international seminar.

Yunnan is home to 25 of China's 56 ethnic groups, contributing much to the intrigue of the region through their colourful cultures and arts.

A series of measures have been put in place over the past half-century. Forty museums that contain more than 250,000 relics have opened in the province. More than 5,300 historical sites have been named for special protection.

Various publications have documented - in print, audio and video products - 20,000 folk songs, 7,000 dances, 2,000 dramas and more than 200 musical instruments.

Still, challenges are emerging as the region develops economically.

"Great changes have taken place in the habitats of the minority people, particularly in their way of living," Xu said, adding that some customs have been vanishing.

To counter this, the Yunnan Provincial People's Congress passed new regulations on the protection of the traditional culture of minority nationalities.

The regulations place on the list for special care and preservation the languages, literature, music, dance, painting, sculptures, religious scripts, stone tablets, architecture, costumes, utensils and traditional skills of the peoples.

The regulations also list traditional holidays and rituals as well as the natural surroundings for protection.

"How to maintain the diversity of ethnic groups and how to harmonize the tradition with the modernization are what we should be concerned with," Xu said. "Renovation sometimes causes a lot of damage."

One example of this is a karst cave in Gengma County, Lingcang Prefecture, that is known for its stones in the shape of Buddha. The cave dates back to the Neolithic age and have served as a sacred place for religious rituals.

The local government invested more than 1.5 million yuan (US$181,000) on facilities for the cave, hoping to attract more tourists. As a result, though, the original atmosphere is disappearing because of improved road and lighting.

Xu suggested each ethnic group select one village that best speaks for its tradition.

"Unlike those cultural parks, the villages, which remain on the original site, would be encouraged to preserve their lifestyle and natural surroundings," he said.

(China Daily December 21, 2001)