Thanks to unremitting efforts of culture departments at all levels, the intangible cultural heritage protection system in Southwest China's Tibet autonomous region has been continuously improved in recent years, the policies and regulations have been gradually improved, and protection methods have become increasingly diverse, said Khaidrub, deputy director of the intangible cultural heritage protection division of the Tibet Autonomous Region's Culture Department.

Tibetan opera, Gesar, and Tibetan medical bathing method have been included in the UNESCO Representative List of Human Intangible Cultural Heritage, 106 items have been included in the national intangible cultural heritage representative list, and 96 individuals have been identified as representative inheritors of national intangible cultural heritage. The autonomous region has established four  state-level demonstration bases and 12 autonomous region-level demonstration bases that produce intangible cultural items, 159 bases for the teaching and learning of intangible heritage, 19 intangible cultural heritage tourist attractions (spots), and 29 intangible cultural heritage demonstration bases on campus.

The region has made continuous effort to preserve intangible cultural heritage items. Over the years, Tibet has finished digital records of 32 representative inheritors at the national level and 6 representative inheritors at the autonomous region level in the form of texts, photos, audios and videos. Moreover, Tibet has launched the publication of the "Tibetan Intangible Cultural Heritage Series" and audio (video) products, publishing and distributing nearly 100 kinds of  books and audio (video) products.

With strong support and guidance of governments at all levels, the development of intangible cultural heritage in Tibet also facilitated rural vitalization and the prosperity of the people. Through vigorously implementing the vitalization plan of traditional crafts, the region has continued to promote the establishment of intangible cultural heritage workshops. Up to now, there are 151 intangible cultural heritage workshops in the region, located in 49 counties and employing more than 6,000 people locally. Among them, 83 workshops have joined the internet platforms in livestreams to sell their products, opening up a new way of cultural support for rural vitalization.

Tibet's culture department actively organized intangible cultural heritage publicity activities on such occasions as "Cultural and Natural Heritage Day", Shoton Festival, which literally means "Yogurt Banquet Festival", and the China Tibet Tourism and Culture Expo (Tibet Expo)  to increase the visibility and popularity of Tibet's intangible cultural heritage, so as to achieve both social and economic benefits. In 2022, the intangible cultural heritage workshops and enterprises participated in the online and offline shopping festival on the "Cultural and Natural Heritage Day",, achieving sales revenue of more than 2.8 million yuan.

The protection of intangible cultural heritage comes with the constraints of laws and regulations.

In recent years, Tibet has promulgated and implemented the "Measures for the Implementation of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Law of the People's Republic of China in the Tibet Autonomous Region", formulated and promulgated the "Measures for the Identification and Management of Representative Inheritors of Intangible Cultural Heritage Items in the Tibet Autonomous Region (Trial)" and "Tibet Autonomous Region Traditional Craft Revitalization Plan" and "Tibet Autonomous Region Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritance and Development Project Implementation Measures", providing strong support and guarantees for the protection and inheritance of Tibet's intangible cultural heritage.