(Beijing) On the heels of the successful 2007 and 2008 “BMW China Culture Journeys”, the 2009 “BMW China Culture Journey” is set to commence on June 10th, 2009, with “An Indestructible Spiritual Home” as its 2009 theme.  To fully demonstrate the remarkable achievement of safeguarding their spiritual home by the optimistic and determined people in the disaster-affected area one year after the earthquake, and to showcase the charm of the cultural treasures in the affected provinces,  the culture journey fleet will roll out from Chengdu, and travel deep into quake-jeopardized cities including Mianzhu, Du Jiang Yan and Mao County of Wenchuan inhabited by Qiang Minorities in Sichuan，quake-affeted cities in Gansu, and will conclude the trip at the Regong Cultural Ecological Reserve Area in Qinghai. Meanwhile, BMW will also contribute donations through China Charity Federation – BMW Warm-heart Fund to the protection and inheritance of cultural items in greatest needs.

After the 5.12 major earthquake, BMW joint hands with China Charity Federation to launch the China Charity Federation – BMW Warm-Heart Fund. Over the past year, the fund has provided continuous financial assitance and spiritual support to people in affected areas. Through this platform that pools together care efforts, the 2009 “BMW China Culture Journey”will be able to present the general public with a magnificent feast of folk culture.

As one of the main “China Cultural Heritage Day” activities, and an important part of “Chengdu International Festival of Intangible Culture Heritage”，the culture journey fleet will pay a visit to over 80 year-old Chen Xingcai, the inheritor of Mianzhu Wood Block New-Year Painting in a village where all families are artists; explore the sights and sounds and the unyielding spirit originating from the ancestors of ancient Qiang minority, known as the “Minority of the clouds”; appreciate traditions that identify the “White-Horse Tibetans”; experience the pure, mysterious and intense folk cultural performances that spread out across Gansu’s Long Nan area; and digest the eternal charm of Re’Gong Tibetan Art from the glorious and heavenly Tang Ka and barbola painting in Qing Hai.

To better provide the general public and citizens concerned about cultural heritage within quake-affected areas with a multi-perspective understanding of this year’s “BMW China Culture Journey”, BMW also recruited 6 “Warm-Heart BMW Bloggers” online. Together with the fleet media, cultural experts, BMW warm-heart dealers and associates, they will dictate the sights and sounds of the journey, tell the stories behind every piece of history, art and its successors, and help spread the message of protecting our country’s intangible cultural heritage through their first-hand experience and individual perspectives.

This year, BMW will continue to deepen its strategic partnership with Chinese Academy of Arts, the Protection Center of Intangible Cultural Heritages of China (PCICH), and further practice the intangible cultural heritage protection motto —“Governmental Leads and Enterprise Participates”. Before officially commencing the journey, BMW will contribute another 1 million RMB donation to the PCICH as part of the “Chinese Intangible Cultural Heritages Protection Fund”, accumulating the current total donation amount to 2 million RMB as their cooperation steams ahead to its second year. As the supporting academic institution, PCICH will continue to lend great support and guidance to donation item selection, documentation, cultural relic collection and expert support of this year’s “BMW China Culture Journey”.