BEIJING — Beijing has promoted the protection of intangible cultural heritage by providing subsidies to the inheritors and assistance in the building of traditional craft brands, an official said on Feb 13.

Eighteen local intangible cultural heritages were listed as representative national items in 2021, including the traditional preserved fruit production techniques, said Liu Bin, spokesperson of Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism.

In order to make intangible cultural heritage more "tangible" to the public, the bureau has designed the "Journey along Beijing's Central Axis," encouraging companies such as the Beijing Enamel Factory to set up intangible cultural heritage experience bases, Liu added.

The bureau also published many tour itineraries themed on the Winter Olympics and the Great Wall, offering seasonal selections to the public and an opportunity to appreciate the Winter Olympics as well as enjoy winter leisure tours, the spokesperson noted.

Multiple activities, including exhibitions, lectures and a shopping festival for Beijing's time-honored intangible cultural heritage brands, will be held in Beijing this year, Liu said.

To date, there are 92 national-level representative intangible cultural heritage inheritors and 242 municipal-level representative inheritors in Beijing.