Another step toward heritage protection

Five-colored rice made from a variety of plant extracts, such as maple leaves and lithospermum, sits in a bamboo basket. Rice noodles swim in rich red oil broth. Polychromatic tropical fruits gleam under exhibition lights.

Together, they bring southern flavors from the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region to Qianmen Street in downtown Beijing.

They are among the highlights in the exhibition, New Spirit of Craftsmanship, Empowering Through Copyright, which kicked off in mid-April and will run until June 30.

Hosted by the Guangxi publicity, culture and tourism authorities and the Copyright Society of China, the event showcases Guangxi's achievements in the protection of folk arts copyright.

At one exhibition booth, a master carver demonstrates how discarded buffalo horns become translucent shrimp. At another, a visitor asks an artificial intelligence voice modeled after legendary local folk singer Liu Sanjie about the recent March 3 celebration, or sanyuesan, featuring choir competitions and grand banquets, some lasting for weeks, helping usher in a tourism boom for the region known for its ethnic diversity.