NBA star James Harden receives Tanka hat as gift

NBA superstar James Harden made a surprise appearance at the opening ceremony of the 2025 Nansha Men's Basketball League on Aug 4.

Harden was presented with a distinct Tanka hat that incorporates Lingnan intangible cultural heritage elements, instantly becoming the center of attention.

James Harden wears the Tanka hat. [Photo/WeChat account: gz_nanshafabu]

This specially crafted hat, produced by a Nansha enterprise, functions as a mobile cultural museum filled with features, such as a panoramic depiction of Dongchong Water Town that includes traditional water weddings and lantern-adorned houses. The hat's ties utilize Xiangyunsha (Gambiered Canton Gauze) – a national-level intangible cultural heritage known as the soft gold of textiles for its plant-dyed silk technique. The prominent "Nansha" logo on the hat proudly showcases the district's cultural identity on the global stage.

Transforming from a traditional handicraft to a Nansha cultural name card, the Tanka hat demonstrates Guangzhou's innovative reinterpretation of intangible cultural heritage in the modern era.