China 中国

The word for “the East” or “Orient” in Western languages derives from the Latin “Oriens”, meaning “the place where the sun rises.” For thousands of years, this distant land has remained shrouded in an air of mystery in the eyes of the world.

In The Travels of Marco Polo, Beijing is portrayed as a city of extraordinary grandeur. Kublai Khan’s imperial palace is described as magnificent, its walls adorned with gold and silver, and its halls vast enough to accommodate thousands of people dining at once. Hangzhou, which Marco Polo called the “City of Heaven,” is depicted as a prosperous city of waterways and bridges, with bustling floating markets and orderly stone-paved streets. In 1877, Ferdinand von Richthofen introduced the term “Silk Road,” encompassing both its overland and maritime routes. More than a network of trade routes, the Silk Road became a symbol of cultural exchange between civilizations. Originating in Chang’an (present-day Xi’an), it took shape during the Qin and Han dynasties and flourished through the Tang, Song, and Ming dynasties. Along these routes, silk, porcelain, and tea carried with them the Western world’s fascination with the East.

But what is it that has given this land such enduring and enigmatic appeal? Perhaps the answer lies in its intangible cultural heritage: traditions refined over centuries, passed down through generations, and preserved through the hands and wisdom of countless artisans.

Jiangnan textiles, porcelain, and the fragrance of tea once brought East and West closer along these ancient routes. Today, the “mysterious East” is no longer confined to the pages of ancient travelogues. China's intangible cultural heritage represents the living continuation of Eastern wisdom and an aesthetic deeply rooted in everyday life. We hope to transcend the boundaries of language and time, inviting the world to discover not only the depth of China's historical legacy, but also the enduring vitality of its traditional heritage as it continues to flourish in the midst of modern urban life.

在西方语言中，“东方”对应的词汇是 Orient（源自拉丁语 Oriens，意为“太阳升起的地方”）。千百年来，这片土地对于世界而言，始终包裹着一层迷雾。《马克·波罗游记》中的北京是这样的： 忽必烈的皇宫极其宏伟，墙壁涂满金银，大厅能容纳数千人同时进餐。杭州被马可·波罗称杭州为“天城”（City of Heaven），描述城内有上万座桥梁（虽有夸张成分），有宽阔的水上集市、整洁的石板路。斐迪南·冯·李希霍芬（Ferdinand von Richthofen）在1877年提出“丝绸之路（陆上和海上）” 。这条“路”是象征着世界文化交流的精神符号，始于长安（今西安），形成于秦汉，兴盛于唐宋明时期。从丝绸、瓷器到茶叶，西方世界在这条路上追寻着对东方的想象。

那么，究竟是什么赋予了这片土地如此持久而神秘的魅力？答案或许就藏在那些历经千锤百百炼、代代相传的非物质文化遗产之中。

江南织物、瓷器与茶香，曾顺着这条长路拉近了东西方的距离。如今，“神秘的东方”不再只是古老典籍里的记载。那些代代相传的中国非物质文化遗产，正是东方智慧与生活美学的活态延续。我们希望打破语言与时空的界限，让大家看到的不仅是历史的沉淀，更是中国传统非遗在现代都市生活里依然蓬勃生长的生命力。