Grand Canal Intangible Heritage Tourism Week Launches in Cangzhou with 96 Heritage Items

Key points

• On September 12, the Wuhao Intangible Heritage Grand Market opened at Cangzhou Garden Expo Park in Hebei, marking the official launch of the 2026 Grand Canal Intangible Cultural Heritage Tourism Experience Week and the first Intangible Heritage Acrobatics Showcase.
• Centred on "life scenes of canal households", the market creates a large immersive experience setting with five themed exhibition zones, gathering 96 premium intangible heritage items across seven categories including traditional opera, traditional crafts and quyi, of which 68 are provincial-level or above.
• The "Canal Arts: Acrobatics Wonder Fair" zone features acrobatics such as Wuqiao acrobatics, Cangxian lion dance, Mengcun Bajiquan, Wuju tooth-changing face-changing and acrobatic vocal mimicry.
• The "Canal Voices: Huaya Rivalry" zone highlights opera and quyi including Peking opera, Hebei Bangzi, Yu opera, Cangzhou Luozi, Hahaqiang, crosstalk and wooden-board drum storytelling.
• The "Canal Fun: Seeking Wonders Along the Long River" zone presents interactive items such as Jinan shadow puppetry, Zhejiang Nianbadu puppet theatre, ancient colour tricks, Weifang kites, Yuxian paper-cutting and Huaiyang clay dogs; the "Canal Flavours: Kaicao Food Stalls" zone gathers food heritage such as Hejian donkey meat burgers, Cangzhou hot pot chicken and Chengde Pingquan lamb soup.
• The event is one of the key activities of the 10th Hebei Provincial Tourism Industry Development Conference, hosted by the China Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Association and the Cangzhou Municipal Government.