Kenyan delegates inspired by China's cultural tourism

As the sun cast over the Great Wall on the outskirts of Beijing, Lydia Matoke stood quietly, taking in the view. For the traditional health practitioner from Nakuru county, Kenya, the centuries-old structure was more than a marvel of ancient engineering — it was a living symbol of a country that has held fast to its cultural identity while adapting to the modern world.

Matoke was one of the 25 Kenyan delegates — cultural officers, site managers and heritage practitioners — who recently took part in a 15-day seminar on integrating intangible cultural heritage into sustainable tourism.

Held at Zhengzhou University of Science and Technology in Henan province, the training provided participants with firsthand insight into how China has successfully preserved and integrated its diverse cultural practices into modern development.

"In China, culture is not something you pull out for a festival and then pack away," Matoke said. "It lives in families, in schools, in city planning — even in the way hospitals embrace traditional medicine. That level of integration is something Kenya must aspire to."

Though she has attended previous trainings in traditional Chinese medicine, Matoke said this seminar deepened her appreciation of how culture can be anchored in everyday life, not only through practice, but also through strong policy and collective pride.

According to Kiprop Lagat, director of culture at Kenya's State Department for Culture, The Arts and Heritage, the country has long relied on wildlife and coastal attractions, while its wealth of oral traditions, spiritual practices and indigenous knowledge systems remains underutilized. Therefore, sending a Kenyan delegation to explore how China's experience in safeguarding intangible heritage could aid Kenya's efforts to diversify its tourism offerings.

"We have rich traditions — songs, dances, herbal medicine, spiritual ceremonies — but we've not integrated them into our tourism models," Lagat said. "In China, we've seen how communities can benefit when their intangible heritage is respected, protected and promoted as a tourism product."

Living monuments

One example that stood out for the delegates was the Fujian tulou — rural communal dwellings in Southeast China that are still inhabited today and serve as living monuments to traditional building techniques.

"The techniques behind their construction come from ICH (intangible cultural heritages)," Lagat explained. "Yet they're still lived in and used for businesses like traditional crafts and family guesthouses. It's a system where culture and commerce reinforce each other."

For Jeremiah Kipainoi, a member of Kenya's interim ICH Committee, the structured approach to preservation was especially striking.

"The Chinese don't leave preservation to chance," he said. "From their laws to the way they handle tourist numbers, it's very deliberate."

He believes the lessons extend beyond tourism. As Chinese influence continues to grow in Kenya through business, education and culture, he sees opportunities for deeper mutual exchange.

Eboso Ann, a Kenyan delegate, also highlighted how intangible heritage in China is not only documented but also integrated into education.

"For instance, at Zhengzhou University of Science and Technology, there was a tea mastering course which encompassed not just the tea preparation science but also the rituals, philosophies and heritages surrounding tea culture," said Ann. "It exemplified how heritage is preserved both academically and experientially."

For the delegates, the return home is more than a conclusion — it's a call for action.

"We left China not just with certificates, but with a vision," Matoke said.