North China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region has allocated 36.64 million yuan ($5.4 million) in funding this year for the protection of intangible cultural heritage (ICH), according to the regional finance department and the department of culture and tourism.

The funding will support surveys, documentation, theoretical research, and inheritance practices related to regional-level ICH projects.

It will also help representative inheritors at regional and higher levels carry out apprenticeship programs, skills research, and cultural exchange activities, strengthening the talent base for traditional heritage preservation.

Part of the investment will be used for exhibitions, performances, and promotional events aimed at increasing public awareness of ICH and deepening its integration with tourism.

Authorities hope the initiatives will help build distinctive cultural brands with Inner Mongolian characteristics and bring traditional heritage closer to the market.

In recent years, increased investment has helped traditional crafts and practices adapt to modern life. Paper-cutting, embroidery, and traditional Mongolian medicine, among other heritage items, have gained renewed popularity through creative transformation and wider public participation.

The development of ICH industries has also created broader opportunities for inheritors while supporting rural cultural revitalization and tourism consumption.

Authorities say intangible cultural heritage has become an important driver for boosting incomes among farmers and herders and promoting cultural and tourism development across the region.