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Locals and tourists participate in the Shun Temple Fair in Keqiao district, Shaoxing. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

The annual Shun Temple Fair has been included in the fifth batch of China's national intangible cultural heritage items, which was released by the State Council on June 10.

According to local authorities, the temple fair is held every autumn at Kuaiji Mountain in Keqiao district, Shaoxing, East China's Zhejiang province to memorialize the ancient emperor Shun (2147-2067 BC).

The fair is centered on a worship ceremony and has developed into a large cultural festival featuring folk arts, as well as business activities.

"The fair echoes the traditional agricultural lifestyle in Kuaiji Mountain and boasts 26 categories of art shows," said a senior director of the Keqiao intangible cultural heritage protection center.

A total of 324 other intangible cultural heritage items also won national recognition.

Judges selected the new items out of 943 nominations from 11 categories, including folklore, traditional music, dance, opera, sports, arts, crafts, medicine, and the new category of diet.

Established in 2006, the national intangible cultural heritage list has been expanded five times and now includes 1,557 intangible cultural heritage items.