The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization is wrapping up its 11th annual meeting. And, it's now official -- UNESCO has included China's "Twenty-Four Solar Terms" on its Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Pupils display painted eggs during a folk custom activity marking "lixia", the beginning of summer in Chinese lunar calendar, at a primary school in Hefei, capital of East China's Anhui province, May 5, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

The decision came on Wednesday during the 11th session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Addis Ababa. UNESCO members examined 37 requests to be included on the Representative List, including "China's 24 Solar Terms." The Chinese solar calendar embodies the concepts of respect and harmony between man and nature.

"It is a very memorable and exciting day to Chinese people. China's "The Twenty-Four Solar Terms" inscribed the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity successfully. It is now recognized by the UNESCO. We feel very happy about it. It is a major breakthrough and a very important project," said Ma Shengde, Department of Cultural Heritage, China.

UNESCO has now recognized three Chinese heritage items that fall in the domain of knowledge and practices, concerning nature and the universe, as defined during UNESCO's 2003 convention.