The Guangdong Provincial People's Procuratorate recently released a special issue on public interest litigation efforts for intangible cultural heritage items in Guangdong, featuring four standout cases from across the province.

One of these cases involves an administrative public interest litigation matter centered on protecting the national intangible cultural heritage "Qiqiao Customs" in Tianhe district of Guangzhou.

Qiqiao Customs is related to the Qiqiao Festival (Begging for Skills Festival), also known as Qixi Festival, the Valentine's Day in China. The festival originated in the Han Dynasty (202 BC-AD 220), and a whole host of related customs have gradually taken shape since then.

The traditional decorations for the Qiqiao Festival in Tianhe district. [Photo/Guangzhou Daily]

The Tianhe District Procuratorate has effectively utilized administrative public interest litigation to implement comprehensive protection efforts merging "cultural relics + intangible cultural heritage."

Through supervising administrative bodies to ensure legal protection of heritage sites, they brought rich traditional culture from rural areas to urban centers, contributing to the development of aesthetically pleasing rural regions, robust rural vitalization, and improved social governance efficiency.