Published : 04/12/2025

On 4 December 2013, at its 8th session held in Baku, Azerbaijan, the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO passed a resolution to officially inscribe "Chinese Zhusuan, knowledge and practices of mathematical calculation through the abacus" on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

This was China's 30th item of world intangible cultural heritage. As of December 2024, China possesses a total of 44 world intangible cultural heritage items, ranking first in the world for its number.

Zhusuan (珠算) is a method of performing numerical calculations with an abacus, hailed as the fifth great invention of China. It had previously been included in the national list of intangible cultural heritage of China.

Su Jinxiu (蘇金秀), who was then the vice-president of the Chinese Abacus and Mental Arithmetic Association, stated that with the development of computer technology, the calculating function of Zhusuan has been gradually weakened, but the ancient Zhusuan still possesses a tenacious vitality.

He said that the successful inscription of Zhusuan as an intangible cultural heritage item could help more people recognise and understand this practise, enhance national pride, and attract greater participation in the promotion and preservation of abacus culture.