China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism released a list of the country's national-level intangible cultural inheritors on Wednesday.

A total of 1,082 inheritors were on the list. Most of the inheritors are over 60 years old, while one third are ethnic minorities.

Being recognized as an inheritor involves a strict screening process, which includes a preliminary assessment by experts in cultural heritage and a second assessment by a review committee.

This is the fifth list of national-level cultural inheritors released by the ministry. The other four lists of national-level cultural inheritors were released in 2006, 2008, 2011 and 2014, respectively.

The National-level Intangible Cultural Inheritor project aims at protecting traditional culture while also recognizing outstanding individuals in order to encourage more people to become involved in promoting and developing China's intangible cultural heritage.