Hong Kong’s inaugural Intangible Cultural Heritage Month, which will kick off on May 31, will present over 100 cultural heritage items from Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland — from the Hakka unicorn dance to the martial art Wing Chun — through performances, interactive booths, and city tour groups.

At a media briefing on Tuesday, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department said it will launch the city’s first Intangible Cultural Heritage Month in June, themed “ICH Around Town”, to help better promote and protect traditional culture.

With a goal to attract over 100,000 spectators, the monthlong event will feature over 80 performances and 60 interactive experience booths to introduce residents to intangible heritage, and elevate their recognition of the intangible heritage in Hong Kong and on the Chinese mainland.

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The opening ceremony of ICH will take place on May 31 and June 1, with carnivals and other forms of celebrations to follow, including performances of the Hakka unicorn dance, a tradition from Hang Hau in Sai Kung; and the floating colors parade, which originated in Cheung Chau.

There will also be interactive booths showcasing the Yip Man branch of Wing Chun, and the rowing of the dragon boat on land, a part of Hoi Luk Fung traditional wedding rituals.

Currently, 507 items are listed on Hong Kong’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Inventory, including 35 performance arts, 134 examples of traditional craftsmanship, and 310 social rituals and festive events.

ICH Month is a local effort to respond to the nation’s Cultural and Natural Heritage Day, an event held on the second Saturday of June.

Tam Ching, a 21-year-old singer of nanyin, a style of traditional music originally from Fujian province, performed dishui nanyin, a singing performance, during the media preview section.

He told China Daily that this traditional culture can not only help cultural exchanges, but also a leisurely form of entertainment within the family. Tam said he hopes the event can enhance the understanding of nanyin amid people from different age groups.

The 65-year-old So Yung-mui, a performer of the rowing of the dragon boat on land, also hopes to promote the skills she inherited through this event.

“We hope that this traditional cultural heritage will not disappear, and the public, especially the youths, can give more attention to it,” So said.

Apart from performances, tours with designated routes will bring residents and tourists to Yau Tsim Mong, Tsuen Wan, Tai Po, Sha Tin, Eastern and the Islands districts to explore special intangible heritage in local communities, with registration to be opened on May 16.

Judith Ng Suet-kwan,who helms the city’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Office, said some of the trips will be reserved for nonlocal tourists.

Related information maps and guides will be provided to the public, so that those who have no time to join the tours can also explore the routes themselves, Ng said.

A planned exhibition titled Genesis and Spirit: Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition on Jiangxi’s Ganzhou Hakka Culture will feature a selection of intangible heritage items related to Hakka culture in the province, including the national heritage Gannan Tea-Picking Opera.

Additionally, an “ICH Flavours” carnival will be staged at Oi – an artistic venue at North Point — on June 28 and 29, providing attendees a chance to use the sense of taste to feel the very essence of the making techniques for food related to intangible cultural heritage.

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Lawmaker Brave Chan Yung said ICH Month can help spread traditional Chinese culture locally and globally, letting the world gain deeper insights into the nation and Hong Kong’s intangible heritage items.

The program can also draw tourists from around the world, especially high-end travelers to Hong Kong, showcasing the profound nature of the Chinese civilization.

The monthlong program is an initiative that was proposed by Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu in his Policy Address last year.

Contact the writer at atlasshao@chinadailyhk.com