SW China's top tourist city strengthens cultural protection

"I think it's my responsibility to pass down our culture and let more people know about it, which is so vivid and charming," he said, adding that most Naxi people live in Lijiang. "That's why I came back here after graduation. The origin of Naxi culture is here."

His devotion of cultural protection is greatly supported by the local government which entrusted He to open the experience center in 2016 in the busiest area of the Old Town and gives him 400,000 yuan ($59,600) a year for daily maintenance and other expenses.

"The local government offered us this two-story cultural courtyard with traditional Naxi characteristics as our center, covering about 300 square meters. We have separated it into several rooms for exhibitions and classrooms," he said.

He Runyuan explains Dongba symbols to tourists in center of Naxi Dongba pictographs and paintings in the Old Town in the city of Lijiang, southwest China's Yunnan province, on March 8, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua]

He and four other Naxi guides work 14 hours a day. "During peak seasons, we can barely take a sip of water," he said.

"It's hard, but it's worth it. We are so proud of what we are doing," he said.

By the end of last year, there were 17 free cultural courtyards in the Old Town of Lijiang, including He's. With the support of the local government, a further 12 are expected to open to the public this year.

"I think the courtyard is a window for promoting the culture of Lijiang, as well as an important base for visitors to learn and try by themselves to have a more comprehensive understanding of our culture," he said.