China-ASEAN Launch Programme to Transform Cultural Heritage into Creative Products

China and ASEAN have launched a training programme to help the public transform cultural heritage into creative products with intellectual property value that can be developed commercially, named the ‘Cultural Heritage IP Incubation Capacity Building Programme’. ‘We invite young people from various countries to directly experience our various forms of cultural heritage protection passed down through generations. We hope that through these activities, more inclusive and diverse exchange platforms can be built for young people,’ said Yu Yingfu, Vice Director of the China International Communications Group, in Dunhuang City, China, on Thursday (2/7). Yingfu made the remarks at the ‘Dialogue on China-ASEAN Cultural Heritage’ event organised by the China International Communications Group (CICG) in collaboration with the Gansu Municipal Government, attended by around 150 researchers, policymakers, media representatives, and content creators from China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Cambodia. The activities will be conducted through online training and exchanges, discussing how to build creative IP products based on cultural heritage, strengthening case exploration, commercial operations, and industrial integration without damaging their cultural value. Through these online and offline formats, the programme is expected to encourage the formation of a long-term exchange mechanism between the youth of China and ASEAN. In China, according to Liu Chao, Director of China Intellectual Property Publishing, by the end of 2025, there will be more than 5,000 types of geographically based IP products recognised and protected, while collective and certification trademarks will exceed 7,400 types, with a direct annual production value surpassing 960 billion RMB (approximately Rp2,541 trillion). Meanwhile, Indonesian content creator Ikram Rizal stated at the same event that the younger generation currently wants to receive information quickly. Ikram also provided tips for creating a ‘hook’ in videos, an opening segment lasting 1-5 seconds designed to capture the audience’s attention so they continue watching. ‘But I also hope that more countries will create volunteer programmes so that young people from other countries who previously did not want to travel due to lack of money or fear of foreign countries can go to other nations,’ Ikram expressed.