Abstract: The subject of this research is the Chinese Neolithic Hemudu culture (河姆渡文化), it will be 50 years since its discovery in 2023. Its age is estimated at 6500-7000 years. Based on the analysis of archaeological reports, materials of the Hemudu Museum and research of Chinese and Russian scientists, the authors put the light on the geographical location of the ancient settlement of Hemudu, the history of its discovery, its main typological features, which led to identifying it as a independent culture of the Neolithic period of Eastern China. Hemudu had a great influence on the cultural genesis of Chinese civilization. More than 40 prehistoric settlements are attributed to the Hemudu culture. In this article, the authors gave a brief description of one of them – the ruins of Xiangjiashan (鲞架山遗址). The main conclusions of the study are as follows: the discovery and identification of the Hemudu culture was a major breakthrough in Chinese Neolithic archeology. It proved that the Yangtze basin was also the birthplace of ancient Chinese culture and rewrote the history of the development of Chinese civilization. In terms of its typological features, the Neolithic settlement of Xiangjiashan is similar to Hemudu, which indicates their genetic connection. The remains of the early Xiangjiashan period filled the gap in the history of the Hemudu settlement, making it more logical and understandable for researchers. All finds made not only in the settlement of Hemudu, but also in Xiangjiashan are extremely important for understanding the development of Chinese culture.

Abstract: One of the most frequently encountered characters in the mythology of various cultures are household spirits, deities-guardians of the hearth, who have lived side by side with humans since ancient times. In this article, on the basis of Russian and Chinese sources, the authors conduct a comparative analysis of the images of the patrons of the household in such aspects as the names given to them by the bearers of culture, versions of origin, appearance, marital status, functions that these deities performed, rituals of worship. The subject of the research is the images of the Domovoy and God of the hearth of Zao-wang in Russian and Chinese cultures. The aim of the work is to find similarities and differences about Domovoy and Zao-wang, to comprehend the interaction of a person with the domestic spirit in Russia and China, which is relevant in the light of the strengthening of relationship between the two countries and contributes to a better understanding of both Chinese and Russian culture. The novelty lies in the absence of such a comparative study in Russian science. As a result of the work, it was revealed that the characters of the keeper of the hearth in the Russian and Chinese traditions have both similarities and differences. Similar features of home spirits are due to global cultural processes, while their differences are determined by worldview and other features of the regions.

Abstract: The object of the research is the political caricatures of the famous Chinese artist Badiucao (巴丢草). The authors used content analysis of a wide range of visual sources, primarily the artist's personal website, the first publications of caricatures on the Twitter, as well as comparative analysis to reveal the artistic features of the works. The main attention was paid to the biography of the artist as it defines his style and the way he depicts political events or politicians. The caricatures were analyzed in accordance to their main characteristics, formal stylistic qualities, iconographic features and thus their symbolic meaning were identified. It is important that there are a large number of publications abroad devoted to the artist and his works, while in China his art is subjected to strict censorship. There are almost no mentions of him on the chinese Internet. In Russia, the name of the cartoonist is practically unknown, which is the novelty of this study for both cultural studies and russian Sinology. The obvious conclusion of the research is that Badiucao is challenging the censorship and dictatorship of the PRC with his art. His caricatures are his main and strongest weapon in this confrontation. Using a wide range of artistic techniques and color palette, he talks about current events, not allowing to forget the sins of the past, demanding not only an apology for political mistakes, but a change in the attitude of the government towards the people of the two coasts – China and Taiwan.

Abstract: The object of this research is the intangible cultural heritage of the People's Republic of China (NPC), the subject is the state policy in the field of protection of monuments of intangible cultural heritage. The article analyzes the approach of the Government of the People's Republic of China to the definition of the essence of the national intangible cultural heritage on the materials of legal documents, considers the classification developed in accordance with national, historical, cultural characteristics for the typologization of intangible cultural heritage objects. To improve the protection of intangible cultural heritage, the State Council of the People's Republic of China provides for a four-level hierarchy of monuments of the National Heritage: national, provincial, city and county, which contributes to more thorough and effective work with them. Particular attention is paid to the consideration of concepts that allowed China to fully integrate the protection of intangible cultural heritage into the modern political course of the state. The novelty and relevance lies in the study of the fundamental principles that guide the State Council of the People's Republic of China in its work on the study of intangible cultural heritage objects, the creation of their nomenclature base, the promotion of digital transformation in meeting the needs of the public in understanding the importance and uniqueness of cultural heritage. An important contribution is the analysis of approaches to ensuring the transfer of spiritual culture, the creation of favorable conditions for the support of "representative heirs" of China's spiritual culture.
The main conclusion of the study is that as a result of the measures taken in China, progress has been made not only in the protection of intangible cultural heritage, but also in strengthening cultural awareness, spreading knowledge about the objects of the ICH, the development of traditional crafts, the study and popularization of traditional spiritual culture.

Abstract: The subject of this research is an ancient Chinese board game “Promoting Officials” (Shengguan Tu), which has a history of more than a thousand years. Unfortunately, after the overthrow of the monarchical structure in 1911, this game gradually ceased to be played. The “Promoting Officials” can be referred to as the game of chance, and its rules remind of the modern game “Monopoly”. Two or more players take turns to roll the dice, which decide whether to move forward or step back. The winner is the one who first reaches the center, position tai shi – mentor of the emperor, grand preceptor. The relevance of this work is substantiated by the absence of research on this cultural phenomenon within the Russian science. The study is based mostly on authentic materials in the Chinese language. The author highlights the connection of the game with the historical era, social structure, hierarchy of state service, education and upbringing of youth, the Confucian doctrine prevalent in the Chinese society. The main conclusions consists in recognition that the board game “Shengguan Tu” played an important role in strengthening the cult of education among youth and regards to the government bureaucratic apparatus. This game also resembles the folk wisdom of the Chinese people.