FIVE traditional Chinese cultural forms and know-how were proposed for the UNESCO intangible heritage lists, the Paris-based organization said Wednesday.

    Chinese printing with wooden movable type, the technique of leak-proof partitions on Chinese junks and the Uygur folk performance, Meshrep, could this year be included in the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.

    Acupuncture and moxibustion of traditional Chinese medicine and Beijing opera were also nominated for the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

    The List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding contains cultural elements which are endangered despite efforts to protect them, according to UNESCO.

    The Representative List now contains 166 elements from 77 countries, and will be enriched by new names from 47 nominations next week.

    An Intergovernmental Committee will decide whether to inscribe a total of 51 elements from 29 countries on the two lists during a meeting in Nairobi, Kenya from Monday to Friday.

    According to UNESCO official Cecile Duvelle, the two lists were equally important and had the common goal of promoting the protection of intangible heritage.

    (SD-Agencies)