People watch a puppet show at a temple fair in Dinghai. [Photo/IC]

Dinghai, a district in Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang province, has launched various measures to better promote local intangible cultural heritage items.

Representatives of four different provincial and national intangible cultural heritage items accepted six apprentices at a recent ceremony held in the district.

Ye Yan, a kindergarten teacher, officially chose Cheng Qi as her teacher at the ceremony. As a lover of tiaozaohui, or kitchen god worshipping dance, Ye has set up a dance team comprising of teachers from the kindergarten that she worked for and said that she would promote the dance to more people.

In 2006, Dinghai started the biennial program of training apprentices by masters. To date, more than 30 people have received training.

The district has also combined local tourist routes with intangible cultural heritage items. For example, the Dinghai Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition Hall presents the district's intangible cultural heritage items with material objects, photos, words, and VR technology.

Theme summer camps are also organized to promote the district's culture.

As of now, Dinghai has housed 73 intangible cultural heritage items at all levels, as well as established 33 bases to better protect and promote these items.