A scene from the documentary directed by Lili, which depicts the growth of a talented boy, Jize Erqu (far left), on the road pursuing the wisdom of kezhi, a raplike debate of the Yi tradition. [Photo provided to China Daily]

"I was determined to film more documentaries displaying the ways, the stories and the folklore of the Yi people, to preserve their diverse and profound culture," he says. "Through exploring the culture of my own people, I hope to know more about myself, too."

His documentary made an impact at the exhibition, organized by the Center for Ethnic and Folk Literature and Art Development under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, which ran from June 7 to 10.

The exhibition screened 30 documentary films, all related to China's intangible cultural heritage.

"Today, photography and film play an important role in recording various forms of cultural heritage," says Wang Jing, vice-director of the event's organizers. "The exhibition aims to show the charms of these traditions to more people and increase their awareness of the preservation of such culture."

Zhu Jingjiang, director of the Center for Visual Anthropology at Minzu University of China, suggests that to better pass down cultural heritage, we should not only record it via traditional tools and modern technology, but also build up systematic training courses in schools and universities.