Chongqing - The Yangtze Gold No. 6 departed Chongqing for Yichang, Hubei Province, on Nov. 6, launching a pilot program featuring intangible cultural heritage displays, craft activities, and onboard performances. The operator describes the vessel as China's first "intangible cultural heritage-themed cruise," bringing traditional arts into a new setting for cultural exchange along the Yangtze.

The trial is taking place aboard the Yangtze Gold No. 6, with onboard activities continuing throughout the passengers' voyage along the Three Gorges to Yichang, rather than being limited to the departure event in Chongqing. The operator will review passenger feedback and trial results before deciding whether to make the program a regular feature and extend it to other ships.

Visitors browse the Intangible Cultural Heritage Bazaar aboard the Yangtze Gold No. 6. (Photo: Li Xinyi)

The launch was held as part of the ninth China Intangible Cultural Heritage Expo, which ran in Chongqing from Nov. 6 to 10. The expo brought together more than 890 intangible cultural heritage projects and over 930 inheritors from across China, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Unlike a fixed exhibition venue, the cruise offers a moving setting where displays and activities travel with passengers along the river. This allows traditional arts to become part of the journey, rather than something visitors encounter at a single location.

The onboard Intangible Cultural Heritage Bazaar featured individual stalls showcasing traditional crafts from Chongqing and other parts of China. Passengers could browse the stalls, watch artisans at work, try selected activities, and buy handmade items. The crafts included Rongchang folding fans, paper-cutting, embroidery, traditional comb-making, sugar painting, dough sculpture, and gourd carving, among others.

The program also featured traditional performances, including Sichuan Qingyin, a traditional form of ballad singing, and Sichuan Pingshu, a form of storytelling. These performances added another dimension to the onboard experience, allowing passengers to encounter traditional Chinese performing arts as they traveled along the Yangtze.

At the paper-cutting stall, Liu Jiawen, a municipal-level representative inheritor of paper-cutting, was folding colored paper into decorative flower patterns for children to try free of charge. She said she joined the event not to sell products, but to introduce more people to Chongqing's traditional culture.

"What matters most is giving people a chance to see Chongqing's own culture," Liu said. "If they become interested in intangible cultural heritage, whether from Chongqing or elsewhere, they may also start paying attention to the traditions in their own cities when they return home."

Liu Jiawen prepares colored paper for children to try paper-cutting aboard the cruise. (Photo: Li Xinyi)

Deng Zunjian, a municipal-level representative inheritor of oil-paper fan making, brought finished fans for display. He said he didn't bring the tools needed for hands-on activities this time, so his stall focused on showcasing finished products. He plans to bring the equipment on future sailings so passengers can try making the fans themselves.

The showcase also featured traditional crafts from beyond Chongqing. Musa, a municipal-level representative inheritor of Uyghur gourd carving from Xinjiang, brought her handcrafted gourds to the cruise. She said the decorative patterns on the gourds draw on motifs from Uyghur embroidery and Atlas silk, a traditional Xinjiang textile known for its vivid colors and distinctive patterns.

To mark the expo, Musa also created a small gourd carving bearing the words "Ninth China Intangible Cultural Heritage Expo" and "Chongqing." In Chinese, the word for gourd, húlu, echoes fúlù, a phrase associated with good fortune and prosperity. She said she wanted the piece to convey her good wishes for the expo and Chongqing.

Musa displays a gourd carved with the names of the ninth China Intangible Cultural Heritage Expo and Chongqing. (Photo: Li Xinyi)

Tan Xianhua, a municipal-level representative inheritor of dough sculpture, said the cruise offered heritage practitioners a new platform to reach travelers. Bringing traditional crafts into tourism, he said, gives more people the chance to learn about and experience intangible cultural heritage, helping these traditions reach wider audiences.

Tan Xianhua displays miniature dough sculptures made into refrigerator magnets. (Photo: Li Xinyi)

Australian visitors Tony and Sheradyn said they already knew something about Chinese culture, including its history and food, but wanted to learn more about the country's regional traditions.

Tony said he had discovered the cruise on YouTube and was drawn by the cultural attractions along the route. The two then booked a cabin for the trip, hoping to explore more of the region.

Sheradyn said she was interested in Chinese culture but had not known about the heritage displays and activities on board. After seeing the crafts, she was impressed by the fine detail and planned to try some activities later in the trip.

The Yangtze Gold No. 6 operates a route between Chongqing and Yichang, taking in destinations such as Fengdu, Baidicheng (White Emperor City), and the Three Gorges Dam. The journey lets passengers explore the scenery and cultural attractions along the Three Gorges.

Wu Zhijia, deputy general manager of the cruise operator, said the main innovation was bringing intangible cultural heritage out of fixed venues and into the moving setting of a cruise ship.

"Our biggest innovation is bringing intangible cultural heritage out of fixed venues and onto a cruise ship," Wu said.

Wu said the operator would use feedback from the pilot to select heritage activities suited to the cruise setting and refine the onboard program. Plans include expanding the bazaar, adding live performances and organizing workshops led by inheritors, with different activities potentially featured on different sailings.

The operator also plans to explore a model combining onboard experiences with visits ashore. This would link onboard craft activities with cultural resources along the Three Gorges, giving passengers opportunities to experience traditional arts on board and learn more about local traditions at destinations along the route.