A celebration of traditional arts will be held from today until June 13 in the 2nd International Festival of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province.

Organized by Ministry of Culture of China, the Sichuan Provincial People’s Government and the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the event aims to protect, publicize and showcase intangible cultural heritage worldwide.

The festival will feature a series of cultural shows and performances, an exhibition of intangible cultural heritage, and a forum on protecting intangible cultural heritage. Within the 13- day period, a total of about 200 activities will be staged, with 5 million visitors expected to attend.

During the forum that runs from May 31 to June 3, officials from UNESCO, the Ministry of Culture, foreign and Chinese experts will convene in Chengdu to share knowledge on the protection of intangible cultural heritage in the event of natural disasters.

One of the highlights of the event is an exhibition on the achievements in protecting intangible cultural heritage in areas that were seriously hit by the massive May 12 earthquake in Sichuan last year.

“By hosting the forum, the world will have a chance to know more about fighting calamities, and set up protective mechanisms in a bid to protect intangible cultural heritage,” said Wang Li, organizer of the international forum.

The session will culminate with participants signing the Chengdu Consensus, which will be inscribed on a tablet at the Chengdu National intangible Cultural Heritage Park.

The 1st Festival was held from May 23 to June 10, 2008 in Chengdu.