Photo: Dag Myklebust©Directorate for Cultural Heritage

China has 56 officially acknowledged ethnic minority groups that are exposed to heavy Western influence and modernization of society. The establishment of eco-museums in one of the poorest provinces in the country, the Guizhou province in the southwestern part of China, will promote a balanced development in selected local communities. NORAD financed about 25 % of the project, the rest was financed by China.

The eco-museums involve three communities representing the Qing Miao, Buyi and Dong minority people and the Han culture in an area where the Han people are in minority. The purpose is to integrate natural and cultural heritage into the self understanding of a local community. The concept can be an important tool when a people have to select strategies for the future. Several buildings have been restored using traditional building techniques and materials. The house in the picture belongs to a family from the Qing Miao people in the Soga area.

The Sino-Norwegian cooperation project was finalised in June 2005. The Directorate for Cultural Heritage was involved in the project as technical adviser since 1999, and took part in the project group together with the Chinese Society of Museums.