Participants communicate with one another during the meeting. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

An intangible cultural heritage exchange meeting was held at the Nantong Foremost Hat Museum in Jiangsu province on April 28, celebrating the 30th anniversary of Nantong Foremost Headwear.

As part of the 2026 Nantong Jianghai International Culture and Tourism Festival, the event brought together numerous national and provincial practitioners of ICH from fields such as Yun brocade, Su embroidery, kesi (silk tapestry weaving), bamboo weaving and tie-dye, among others. It established a platform for exchange and collaboration between ICH preservation and fashion design.

Participants admire the hat showcased at the Nantong Foremost Hat Museum. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

At the event, Foremost's founder, Sun Jianhua, elaborated on the vision and plan behind the 101 Intangible Cultural Heritage Hat Accessories project. Using hats as a medium, the project aims to gather 101 representative inheritors of various ICH items and 100 traditional craftsmanship techniques to create 101 exquisite hats. These hats are expected to embody cultural depth, artistic value, and craftsmanship excellence.

ICH practitioners and designer representatives engaged in in-depth discussions on topics such as the preservation of ICH techniques, the compatibility of traditional crafts with modern hat design and the integration of craftsmanship innovation with practical functionality, refining creative plans on-site.

The Nantong Foremost Hat Museum will permanently house the 101 exquisite hats and promote global tours of these works to showcase the charm of Chinese ICH to the world.

Additionally, the project plans to launch the 101 Craftsmanship documentary series and co-branded products, creating a chain from cultural preservation to market transformation, bringing intangible heritage techniques out of museums and into daily life.