"The more national it is, the more global it is." Festive atmosphere can be felt all across the country during the Spring Festival for the Year of the Dragon. The 78th United Nations (UN) General Assembly unanimously passed a resolution at the end of 2023, officially designating the Spring Festival (Lunar New Year) as a UN floating holiday. People are celebrating the Spring Festival in different ways in the late winter days. The Spring Festival's inclusion into UN holidays opens up more opportunities for Chinese culture's venturing out. Intellectual property (IP) elements beautify and decorate the Spring Festival.
Copyright protection guards Spring Festival film market
The film market of the Spring Festival has been on a fast track. The box office of 2024 Spring Festival Slot rolled over 8.016 billion yuan with YOLO, Pegasus 2 and Boonie Bears: Time Twist making the top 3.
The Spring Festival vacation this year lasted eight days, making the film slot the longest in history. Whereas the annual China Media Group (CMG) Spring Festival Gala and multiple films were played in such a short span of time, the National Copyright Administration of China (NCAC), China Film Administration, Ministry of Public Security and Ministry of Culture and Tourism worked together on copyright protection of theatrical films to secure a healthy and orderly viewing environment and quality development of the film industry.
Based on the submission by the right holders, the NCAC announced an early warning list for 2024's first group of key works for copyright protection on February 7. Eight films including Rob & Roll, Article 20, YOLO, and programmes of CMG's 2024 Spring Festival and Lantern Festival galas made the list.
Thanks to their stellar performance in the home market, some of these films are venturing out to the world. Sony Pictures and New Classics Media recently announced their cooperation of global release of YOLO directed by Jia Ling, making it the first mainland film not produced but purchased for global release rights by Sony Pictures, which not only represents a nod to the film but to the wider Chinese film industry in the international market.
ICHs adorn Chinese New Year
On People's Square in Weixian County, Xingtai City, Hebei Province, Fengzhuang Luantan Art Group was performing their own certified intangible cultural heritage (ICH)- luantan for festival goers who frequently gave rounds of applause for the performance of classic pieces. On another stage in Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, Boundless- Chang'an presents viewers an art banquet featuring dazzling visual effect that integrates ICHs including Shaanxi opera and state-of-the-art technology.
"The Spring Festival is a concentration of ICHs and an important media for inheriting traditional customs and culture. Waging ICH activities and presenting its charm not only spice up a sense of ritual for the Festival, but also boost the inheritance and innovative development of ICHs," Yuan Li, a professor and PhD supervisor with the Chinese National Academy of Arts outlined.
Days prior to the Spring Festival, Sichuan Opera Theatre of Chengdu organized a performance in Houston - the biggest city of the State of Texas in the U.S., bringing the charm of Chinese ICHs to the locals. In recent years, the Theatre has been no stranger to rejuvenation of Sichuan opera and coverage of its innovation with IP protection. At the fifth joint conference for development of Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle, the standing committees of Sichuan and Chongqing People's Congress, December 2023, reached a preliminary consensus to simultaneously legislate on the protection and inheritance of Sichuan opera in 2024 with an aim to offer a solid legal shield for the protection and inheritance of Sichuan opera as an ICH and its export to the world.
Cultural and creative brands celebrate the Spring Festival
The CMG's Spring Festival Gala is not just a Chinese cultural symbol known to the worldwide audience, but an important force driving the development of Chinese cultural and creative industry. China Media Group announced on January 26 an authorization and cooperation plan for 2024 gala merchandises including cultural and creative products, gala brand elements to build a leading brand - Grand Spring Festival Gala Season for the Spring Festival culture of the Year of the Dragon. Prior to that, products featuring 2024 gala mascot - Long Chenchen, dragon bowls, dragon dishes, Gala microphones shaped like red lanterns, Gala zodiac wrist bands had already been launched and sold popular.
As of now, China Media Group has jointly developed nearly 100 cultural and creative products revolving around the Grand Spring Festival Gala Season brand, covering life scenarios like gift giving, children's life and home furniture and plans to reach customers via CMG's app, Tmall shop and over 3,000 SINOPEC's Easy Joy shops.
"The Spring Festival's inclusion into UN holidays is a recognition of the Chinese culture, opening up new opportunities for the distribution of the Chinese culture," Song Hefa, a professor with the Institute of Science and Development under the Chinese Academy of Sciences and deputy dean of the IP academy of the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences summarized, adding that IP is playing an increasingly crucial role in traditional culture as time moves on. IP facilitates the protection of genetic resources and traditional knowledge as well as cultural inheritance. In the future, China shall strengthen the protection and inheritance of its own festive culture, build up its national cultural soft power and boost the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind.