International students visit Baihuazhou Historical and Cultural Block in Jinan on April 29. [Video/chinadaily.com.cn]

Jinan, capital of Shandong province, launched its "Glocal" intangible cultural heritage plan on April 29 to deepen the integration of localization and globalization in the preservation and promotion of intangible cultural heritage.

Jinan is rich in intangible cultural heritage, boasting 13 national-level intangible cultural heritage items and 108 provincial-level items.

Wu Bo, deputy director of the Jinan municipal bureau of culture and tourism, said at the launch ceremony that the "Glocal" plan follows the principle of “local content, global expression”, aiming to preserve tradition while fostering innovation and global exchange.

The plan promotes a collaborative model between government, universities, and enterprises. It focuses on building platforms like the Baihuazhou intangible cultural heritage research and learning base, encouraging academic support through talent and research, and driving market growth through cultural products and tourism.

As part of the launch, over 40 international students from Shandong Normal University visited Baihuazhou Historical and Cultural Block, a popular cultural site of the city, where they explored the city’s intangible cultural heritage items such as mother-of-pearl inlay, shadow puppetry, Lu embroidery, and lacquer fan making.