Photo/Shetuwang

China will step up its support for folk vocal arts, according to a guideline from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism (MCT) that was made public Monday.

Folk arts, named "Quyi" in Chinese, refer to various narrative and singing forms including ballad singing, comic dialogues, clapper talk and crosstalk, which remain popular among the Chinese people.

The guideline aims to better preserve these traditional art forms and promote their development.

Nine major tasks were listed, including carrying out research on and evaluation of representative Quyi projects, producing excellent works of Quyi to meet the people's needs, supporting Quyi performances and increasing performance frequency, as well as promoting the popularization of Quyi to enlarge its audience.

Perennial performances of Quyi, especially of state-level intangible cultural heritage representative projects, will be promoted, according to the guideline. More stages for Quyi are encouraged to be set up to this end.

The guideline also encourages Quyi protection units, representative artists and performing groups to cooperate with television stations, radio stations and online streaming platforms to carry out various forms of performance.

Trade fairs are encouraged to expand the Quyi market, the guideline says, adding that Quyi performances could be integrated with local tourism to seek more opportunities.

A national week for Quyi will be launched to showcase excellent artists and works, the guideline says. Schools, communities and villages are encouraged to introduce Quyi to greater audiences.

The MCT has been active in formulating policies to enhance the protection of various forms of intangible cultural heritage. The guideline comes on the heels of similar policy documents concerning traditional Chinese opera and traditional crafts.

Email: gaohan@nbd.com.cn