At a cultural exhibition at Hotan, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, in mid-August audiences watched in silence as polychromatic projections of the region's vibrant Atlas silk, famed for its multicolored resist-dyeing patterns, illuminated a digital screen. On the stage a little boy pretended to be turning what looked like a wooden loom, modeled on the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) jacquard loom. As he turned the levers; on the screen before him, the classic "five stars rising in the East" pattern — an auspicious cultural symbol — slowly unfurled. The crowd erupted in applause.

The above scene unfolded at the "Xinjiang Is a Nice Place" intangible cultural heritage exhibition, a master class in fusion. A simple pull of the lever could trigger changing patterns, which, synchronized with traditional music, was transforming intangible heritage into a multisensory experience.