At the opening ceremony, Vice President Liu Hongchang emphasized that, as a UNESCO Category 2 Centre, CRIHAP has always been committed to promoting ICH capacity-building in the Asia-Pacific region. She highlighted that the two ICH elements featured in this workshop - the Wangchuan Ceremony and Lion Dance - are highly representative and serve as vivid testimonies to the cultural integration between China and Malaysia. Deputy Director-General Lin Shouqin welcomed cultural scholars and ICH practitioners from both countries and introduced the efforts made by the Fujian Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism to promote international cooperation in ICH safeguarding. Christina Yeo noted that Malaysia and China have rich cultural legacies to share. She remarked that last year was the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Malaysia, signifying five decades of strong bilateral ties. Looking ahead, Malaysia holds high expectations for the joint nomination of the Lion Dance by China and Malaysia for inclusion on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Over the course of four days, the workshop focused on the theme of joint safeguarding. Ng Xin Yin and Tian Miao, two UNESCO facilitators, interpreted the key principles of the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. They guided participants from the Wangchuan Ceremony and Lion Dance communities of both countries through collaborative discussions on methodologies for community oral history practices, solutions to ICH safeguarding challenges, enhancing heritage viability amid urbanization, and developing ICH safeguarding plans. During the workshop, Ye Xizhi, Director of Xiamen's Minnan Culture Protection Committee and President of the Xiamen Minnan Culture Research Association, and Ronald Gan Yong Hoe, President of the Persatuan Peranakan Baba Nyonya Malaysia, delivered keynote lectures titled "Wangchuan's Voyage: From People's Boat to Humanity's Heritage" and "China–Malaysian Joint Safeguarding of the Wangchuan Ceremony," respectively. Practitioners from several Malaysian Lion Dance troupes also shared their safeguarding experiences.