Pingtung County adds new intangible cultural heritage listings

The Pingtung County Government has announced new additions to its intangible cultural heritage registry, including three new listings and the recognition of six individual practitioners and three preservation groups.

A major highlight is the official registration of the ‘Nanzhou King's Arrival Peace Festival,’ with the ‘Xizhou Daetian Temple’ designated as its preservation group. This marks the third major King's Arrival festival in Pingtung to be recognized as a cultural asset, following Donggang and Xiaoliuqiu.

In the realm of performing arts, opera artist Zheng Yasheng has been added as a ‘Gezixi’ (Taiwanese Opera) practitioner. She and her husband, Chen Shengzai of the Ming Hwa Yuan troupe, are recognized for their long-term dedication to teaching and performing traditional opera.

The new listings also encompass diverse ethnic heritages, including Paiwan indigenous songs, Paiwan music, and Paiwan woodcarving. Additionally, the ‘Wanluan Wugoushui Cannon Festival’ and the Hakka tradition of ‘Flower Arrangement and Flower Packs’ have been recognized for their folk and traditional knowledge significance.