In December 2004 China ratified UNESCO's Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, and in 2005, under the coordination of the Ministry of Culture, the Office of Ministry Level Joint Conference was established to undertake the work of making the guidelines and policies for Chinese intangible cultural protection, and to examine, approve, and coordinate protection programs for Chinese intangible cultural heritage. 

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As of 2015, China has 38 elements inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The first batch of The National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of China, released by the Ministry of Culture on 20 May 2006, included an ambitious 518 different items. Most of the nation’s province-level administrative units followed suit, drawing up lists of their own, as did many municipal- and county-level administrative units such as prefecture-level cities or districts.The number of elements is testament to the tremendous variety of arts and culture found in a country as geographically vast, historically rich, and ethnically diverse as China.

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It is clear that in order for the many and varied traditions making up the cultural heritages of China to be given the comprehensive attention they deserve, local organizations, government and non-government alike, must play a significant role.