The Chinese government continues its efforts to protect the intangible cultural heritage by training the professional staff in the country's culture departments.

More than 50 people participated in a training program Saturday in Guiyang, southwest China's Guizhou Province.

The one-week training program was co-organized by China's Ministry of Culture and the national intangible heritage protection center. It included courses regarding the present status and development of intangible cultural heritage, project application and construction of heritage protection areas.

China has listed more than 70,000 intangible cultural heritage items so far and built more than 520 thematic museums for their protection, said Zhang Qingshan, an official with the national intangible cultural heritage protection center.