Over the past ten years, the Festival has attracted ICH professionals and practitioners from over 100 countries and regions. This year the Festival consists of an international forum, presentations, exhibitions and fair.

Set up as an international cultural event aiming at safeguarding intangible cultural heritage (ICH), the Festival, through a wide range of programs including seminars, exhibitions, performances, presentations and trade fairs, brings together ICH professionals and practitioners worldwide, and provides them with an interactive platform for global exchange and cooperation in the field of ICH.
Since the 2nd Festival, UNESCO has been a co-host. The event has featured various globally acclaimed highlights including the Chengdu International Conference on the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage during the 4th Festival in 2013, resulting in the document Chengdu Recommendations.