Mother Shanghai: Airbnb helps to keep tradition alive

One of the great motives to travel in our own country is to explore cultures and traditions – otherwise we could all holiday in our own (actual) back yard, which wouldn’t be good for Airbnb’s business.

So Mother Shanghai has helped Airbnb to create a master film that highlights the thrill of reconnecting with the traditions of the past, the traditions that people are in danger of losing as the generations pass. The film, Lost & Found, is running on social media. Its objective is to attract more of the younger generation to connect with, and experience, their traditional culture, often for the first time.

The film supports Airbnb’s bringing 40 Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) experiences to Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou & Qiandongnan through its platform. The campaign is designed to bring new meanings, new perspectives and new energy to the featured Chinese cultural heritage, and foster the sustainable development of cultural preservation in China.

The film gives an overview of some of the featured Intangible Cultural Heritage experiences. Complementing this are key visuals and cut downs of the film – all pair masters of specific elements of ICH and young travellers in the four cities. The films end with the hope of “reconnecting with the traditions of the past… a journey from lost to found begins now”.

Airbnb commented, “Our mission at Airbnb is to bring people together, sharing experiences and building communities. It’s worrying that as generations pass, culture gets forgotten. This film is our contribution to help culture be remembered.”

Mother Shanghai added, “Being part of the Lost & Found project with Airbnb and Lucky Sparks is an unforgettable experience for us. Traditional culture and craftsmanship are gradually being forgotten in today’s fast-moving era. This beautiful and moving documentary should help people begin to appreciate these. With respect to the love of Chinese traditional culture there once again.”