Heritage shopping month brings traditions into daily life

China officially launched the 2026 Intangible Cultural Heritage Summer Shopping Month on June 11, with the main event held in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, as part of this year's Cultural and Natural Heritage Day celebrations on June 13.

The event highlights the systematic protection and innovative development of intangible cultural heritage while showcasing the achievements of heritage preservation and passing on traditional culture.

A key attraction is a large-scale ICH marketplace on Suzhou's historical Pingjiang Road, bringing together more than 100 ICH workshops and heritage inheritors from across the country. The market focuses on traditional foods, clothing and contemporary lifestyle products inspired by traditional craftsmanship, demonstrating how centuries-old skills are being reimagined for modern tastes.

During the opening ceremony, a summer film recommendation list under the theme "Discover Intangible Cultural Heritage Through Film" was released.

Jiangsu also unveiled a range of heritage-themed consumption initiatives covering new cultural tourism scenarios, boutique travel routes, consumer discounts and digital guide maps. Cultural and tourism authorities from Hebei, Jilin, Hubei and Gansu provinces also presented distinctive local heritage products, highlighting the rich diversity of traditional crafts and cultural expressions across China.

The Suzhou culture, radio, television and tourism bureau announced a series of summer heritage activities, including a qipao-themed travel photography season, heritage study tours and a Douyin intangible heritage carnival, giving visitors opportunities to experience, learn about and purchase heritage products.

From June 11 to 14, heritage markets will be held across several historical sites in Suzhou, including Pingjiang Road, Cangjie Street and Weidaoguan. Set against the backdrop of the city's famous canals, stone bridges and white-walled traditional architecture, the markets combine cultural experiences with consumer engagement.

Exhibits cover a wide range of traditional crafts, including textile dyeing and embroidery, garment making, ceramics, sculpture, weaving and traditional foods. More than 60 percent of participating exhibitors are ICH workshops, while over 20 national- and provincial-level representative inheritors are demonstrating their skills on site.

The event also explores new forms of cross-sector collaboration under themes such as "ICH plus designer toys", "ICH plus fashion" and "ICH plus technology". Heritage workshops, young inheritors, enterprises, universities and industry associations are participating in forums, case-sharing sessions and roundtable discussions aimed at improving the quality and sustainability of heritage-related businesses while creating new opportunities for practitioners.

The ICH summer shopping month will run through late July, and feature more than 1,200 events nationwide under the theme "Intangible Cultural Heritage: Making Life Better".