A folk artist association was officially established in Tongzhou district, Nantong, Jiangsu province on Dec 29. It is the 14th artist association under the supervision of the district's federation of literary and art circles.

Tongzhou district is designated as one of homes of Chinese folk culture and art, as it has a number of artists specializing in Tongzi Opera, blue calico, banyao whistling kites, and more.

Practitioners of these intangible cultural heritage items have devoted themselves to the preservation of traditional culture and the promotion of Tongzhou folk art. 

Hu Weidong, director of Tongzhou district's publicity department, encouraged folk artists to try to inspire the public through their artwork, create works highlighting the district's traditional culture, and help cultivate more artists by holding related activities.

A total of 72 influential folk artists are now a part of the association, which aims to promote more cultural and art products in the future.