Twenty-four Solar Terms nominated for UNESCO culture list

China’s Twenty-four Solar Terms, a knowledge of time developed through thousands of years of observation of the sun’s annual motion, has been nominated for the 2016 Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The nomination was announced at the 11th Session of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, which opened in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, on Monday.

Bringing together nearly 650 delegates in the East African nation from Monday to Friday, the meeting is to focus on traditional songs, rituals, celebrations and know-how.

China made the proposal to UNESCO in March last year. China has more than 30 intangible cultural heritages recognized by the organization, including Peking Opera and acupuncture.

Ancient Chinese divided the sun’s annual motion curve into twenty-four equal parts, with each part having its own solar term. Summarized by Chinese ancestors based on

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observation of the sequential variations of astronomy, temperature, precipitation and phenology in the reaches of the Yellow River, the Twentyfour Solar Terms guided agricultural production and daily life. The system still influences many Chinese people’s ways of thinking and behavior.

In addition to China’s proposal, the representatives of 24 States Parties to UNESCO’s Convention for Intangible Cultural Heritage will examine 36 other requests for inscription on the list.

Ethiopia’s Oromo Gada system, an indigenous democratic sociopolitical system, is also among the nominations.

Ethiopian President Mulatu Teshome said in his opening remarks in Addis Ababa that his country, endowed with rich and distinctive cultural values, is an ideal place to host the meeting.

In addition, the representatives will examine five nominations for inscription on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.

Xinhua contributed to this story.