December 4, 2013 is a day worth remembering for Chinese abacus. On this day, the eighth meeting of the Inter-Commission for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO adopted a resolution in Baku, Azerbaijan, officially inscribed the Chinese abacus project on the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Abacus is a great creation of the ancient Chinese working people and a treasure of the excellent traditional culture of the Chinese nation. It uses the abacus as a tool to perform numerical calculations by turning the abacus beads with your fingers, and is known as the fifth great invention in China. The history of abacus can be traced back to the Han Dynasty in the 3rd century BC, and through successive generations of development and refinement, unique calculation methods and techniques have gradually developed.
However, with the development of modern technology, the role of abacus in practical application has gradually been replaced by electronic calculators and computers. This also puts the abacus at risk of being lost. In order to protect and inherit this precious cultural heritage, China** and non-governmental organizations have taken a series of measures. In 2008, the abacus was inscribed on the second batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists. Since then, the Chinese Abacus Mental Arithmetic Association has actively promoted the protection and inheritance of abacus, and organized a number of abacus competitions and promotion activities. At the same time, it has also increased the publicity of abacus culture, encouraged schools to incorporate abacus into the curriculum system, and cultivated young people's interest and skills in abacus.
The successful application of the abacus to the World Heritage List is not only an affirmation of the historical and cultural value of the abacus in China, but also a recognition of the efforts made by China and non-governmental organizations in the protection of intangible cultural heritage. This success has injected new vitality into the inheritance and development of abacus, and also opened a window for the world to understand traditional Chinese culture.
As an ancient calculation tool, although the practical application of abacus in modern society has gradually decreased, the wisdom and value it contains will never become obsolete. Abacus is not only a method of calculation, but also a way of thinking and a cultural symbol. It cultivates people's concentration, patience and logical thinking ability, and is of great significance for the intellectual development and comprehensive quality improvement of teenagers. In addition, abacus is also a bridge between China and the world for cultural exchange. With the successful application of abacus to the World Heritage List, more and more countries and regions have begun to pay attention to abacus, and the craze for learning abacus Xi has gradually risen. The abacus has become a link for international friendship and cultural exchanges, and has contributed to the development of cultural diversity in the world.
In the context of globalization and modernization, the safeguarding and transmission of intangible cultural heritage is of great significance. The successful application of the abacus on the World Heritage List provides us with a successful example. It tells us that traditional culture is not necessarily incompatible with modern society, as long as we are good at innovation and inheritance, we can make ancient wisdom shine new light in modern society.
Creative Inspiration Center