The city of Yulin in northwest China's Shaanxi Province was designated as one of the five national-level cultural ecology protection zones by China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism recently.

Located on the Loess Plateau, the city has nurtured various art forms featuring distinctive Shaanbei (northern Shaanxi) style, such as the Shaanbei folk song, Shaanbei yangko dance, Hengshan waist drum dance, Yulin ditty, and Suide stone sculpture. It is home to 11 intangible cultural heritage items at national level, 66 at provincial level and 420 at city level.

The Hengshan waist drum dance, for example, was accredited the national intangible cultural heritage in 2008. The dance, dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), evolved from military use to a festive ritual, praying for good weather for the crops and bumper harvest.

Running, jumping and somersaulting, Hengshan waist drum dancers display the wild, brave, tenacious and plain personality of the locals.

To better preserve and carry forward these cultural heritages, local authorities in Yulin have introduced related courses to schools, offered free training sessions to amateurs and free stage performances to the public.

The government at all levels has also made full use of these cultural treasures to bring benefit to the local residents.

The Wubu County set up 18 cooperatives and five factories focusing on dried noodles, providing standard packaging and more marketing channels for the over 500 households that produce dried noodles in the county. The stone sculpture industry has driven the growth of related industries in Suide County, such as quarrying and transport, offering more than 1,000 jobs to the locals.