Intangible heritage fuels growth and creativity in Central China

ZHENGZHOU — In a factory workshop in Huangchuan county, Central China's Henan province, nimble hands stretch strands of dough with practiced precision.

The threads of dough are kneaded, twisted, and carefully pulled apart with wooden sticks before being draped over tall racks to dry, becoming the region's famed "hollow tribute noodles".

"Making hollow tribute noodles is my life's work," says Liu Laiwang, a representative inheritor of the craft and head of Henan Wangxin Food Co. "As an intangible cultural heritage of the province, Huangchuan's hollow tribute noodles embody the wisdom of generations. We feel called to preserve and pass them on."