Gezaixi, or Gezai Opera, is a national intangible cultural heritage item in Fujian province. [Photo/wenming.cn]

Siming district in Xiamen, East China's Fujian province, launched a tour of intangible cultural heritage items on Oct 10 in an effort to promote the preservation and development of culture.

In recent years, Xiamen has attached great importance to protecting intangible cultural heritage items by exploring new techniques such as improving the cultural environment. Innovative development has been achieved in the protection and preservation of the items.

Gaojia opera has a history of almost 300 years in Fujian province. It was named a national intangible cultural heritage item in 2006. [Photo/wenming.cn]

A wide range of measures have been implemented by the city, including holding training courses for cultural practitioners, carrying out "productive protection" operations, and strengthening theoretical research on intangible cultural heritage protection, all of which have greatly promoted the legal and fiscal protection for Xiamen's intangible heritage.

Nanyin, listed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage item in 2009, is one of China's oldest forms of music. [Photo/wenming.cn]

According to the local government, Xiamen is now home to 64 intangible cultural heritage items, including Nanyin, which was dubbed "a living fossil of Chinese musical history" and listed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage item in 2009, as well as 11 national and 36 provincial items.