The Greater Bay Area Art Center, set to open to the public on May 1, 2024, houses a "treasure box of intangible cultural heritage" – the Guangdong Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition Center. The exhibition center has a construction area of 26,000 square meters and an exhibition space of 10,400 square meters. Visitors are invited to explore the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) of Guangdong.

An exhibition hall inside the Guangdong Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition Center (Photo: Nanfang Plus)

Currently, Guangdong Province boasts five items listed as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, 165 items recognized as national ICH, and 816 items as provincial ICH. A curated selection of national and provincial heritage inhabits the four-floor exhibition space.

The exhibition center features seven permanent exhibitions and a themed exhibition. Upon entering the exhibition center's grand foyer, visitors will be greeted by masterpieces of Chaozhou wood carving.

Chaozhou wood carving "Bloom" (绽放) (Photo: Guangdong Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition Center)

Stepping onto the second floor, visitors will walk into Guangdong's customs and scenes of life. Guangzhou's bustling flower market, Foshan's "Crossing Tongji Bridge" event, the Hakka tradition of lighting lanterns, the vibrant Yingge dance of Chaoshan, Zhanjiang's exorcist Nuo dance, and the Shuagetang Songfest of the Yao ethnic group unfold in a blend of static and dynamic displays.

The 22-meter-long Dongguan traditional dragon boat produced in 1997, the year of Hong Kong's return (Photo: Nanfang Plus)

The third floor features traditional techniques. An exquisite collection of embroidery and architectural works by renowned artisans epitomizes the culmination of Guangdong traditional craftsmanship.

Detail of Chao Embroidery works (Original video provided by Guangdong Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition Center)

The "Baigong Screen Wall" (百工照壁) and the "Cantonese Roof Ridge" (广府屋脊) were crafted by over a dozen ICH inheritors. They vividly showcase the artistic characteristics of Guangdong architecture, including wood carving, stone carving, brick carving, pottery, and plaster sculpture.

Cantonese Roof Ridge (Photo: Nanfang Plus)

The fourth floor displays a selection of intangible cultural heritage shared by Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, representing the cultural identity of Chinese both at home and overseas. At the entrance stands a five-meter-long bone carving masterpiece. It intricately depicts iconic landmarks of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, such as Guangzhou's Zhenhai Tower, Hong Kong's Golden Bauhinia Square, Macao's Ruins of St. Paul's, Shenzhen's Qianhai International Conference Center, and Zhuhai's Grand Theater. At the peak of the carving is a ball composed of 31 layers.

Detail of the bone carving "Greater Bay Area Unity" (湾区同心) (Original video provided by Guangdong Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition Center)

"Greater Bay Area Unity" bone carving, crafted over 3000 days by more than 20 artisans, utilizing 13 tons of cattle bones (Photo: Nanfang Plus)

Cutting-edge digital and multimedia technologies breathe new life into the intangible cultural heritage. The multimedia interactive exhibition of Guangdong cuisine, the AI storyteller telling Guangdong legends, holographic musical screens, and naked-eye 3D theatrical installations aim to enhance the audience's immersive experience.

The AI storyteller, empowered by natural language processing technology (Photo: Nanfang Plus)

Naked-eye 3D theater in a showcase (Photo: Nanfang Plus)

Beyond the main exhibitions, the exhibition center is equipped with a range of public service facilities, including the theater, the multipurpose hall, the creative area, the 400-square-meter workshop, etc. The exhibition center provides a platform for ICH protection and education and facilitates the connection between ICH inheritors and the general public.

During the May Day holiday, the exhibition center will hold the "Intangible Cultural Heritage Carnival" featuring the ICH market, interactive experiences, and outdoor pop-up shops. Bringing together a number of fashion enterprises and academies from Guangdong, the center will stage an ICH fashion show on the evening of May 3 to present novel designs of traditional embroidery including Guang embroidery, Chao embroidery, Yao embroidery, drawn-thread work, and gambiered Canton gauze.