Shandong’s Legacy

Let the People Benefit

Qingzhou is named after one of the nine provinces that were recorded in the Yu Gong geography chapter of the classic Book of Documents. On November 18, 2013, Qingzhou was designated a famous historical and cultural city by the State Council. On September 16, I visited Beimenli Ancient Street, full of old alleys and ancestral halls. Days gone by are vividly reproduced along the street: Senior residents play chess under trees; an old man in a red gown performs Shandong Kuaishu, a form of story-telling; various folk performances play out; folk handicrafts are on display.

Beimenli Ancient Street has witnessed the rise and fall of Qingzhou. According to Li Jiangtao, vice president of Qingzhou Cultural Industry Association, the preservation and renovation of the street is part of the larger preservation project of the old city area, which was launched in 2012.

The Qingzhou municipal government is proactive in protecting the city’s intangible cultural heritage. According to Ma Aijuan, director of operations at the Qingzhou Intangible Cultural Heritage Preservation Center, the municipal department of finance allocates RMB 1.5 million every year for the salary of performers, applying the principle of “the government buys the service to let the people enjoy the service” to preserve and revitalize these intangible cultural heritage programs.  

XU HAO is a journalist with China Report.