China’s economic and political growth has been well documented. However, limited attention has been paid to how rapid development has dramatically impacted the nation's cultural life. Organizations in both China and the U.S. are working together to preserve and share China's "intangible" heritage and build cultural ties.
Kurt Dewhurst is a former president of the American Folklore Society. He's now director of Arts and Cultural Initiatives at Michigan State University. Under his leadership, the American Folklore Society started the China-U.S. Forum on Intangible Cultural Heritage. Dewhurst describes the program and some of the changes facing Chinese culture to Current State’s Emanuele Berry.