Elements
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EE00002510
Traditional tea processing techniques and associated social practices in China
The element consists of knowledge, skills, and practices concerning management of tea plantations, picking of tea leaves, manual processing, drinking and sharing of tea. Based on natural conditions and local customs, tea producers have developed six categories of green, yellow, dark, white, oolong and black teas, as well as reprocessed teas like flower-scented teas, which results in over 2,000 tea products. Processing tools are woks, bamboo trays and drying frames, etc. Core skills employed include shaqing (enzyme inactivation), menhuang (yellowing), wodui (piling), weidiao (withering), zuoqing (leaves shaking and cooling), fajiao (oxidation or fermentation) and yinzhi (scenting). All these teas, with their diverse colors, aromas, flavors and shapes, meet different needs of people. Tea is ubiquitous in Chinese people’s daily life. Steeped or boiled tea is served in families, workplaces, tea houses, restaurants, temples, etc. and applied as an important media for communication in socializing and ceremonies such as wedding, apprentice-taking and sacrificing. Practices of greeting guests with tea and building good relationships within family and among neighborhood through tea-related activities are shared among multiple ethnic groups, and provide a sense of identity and continuity for communities, groups and individuals concerned. During the transmission, the element has nurtured systematic knowledge, extensive social practices, proven traditional skills and abundant handiwork. It reflects Chinese people’s values of modesty, harmony, comity and respect, and has profound influence on moral cultivation and personality shaping. It also facilitates exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations through the Silk Roads, hence playing a significant role in sustainable social development.
China 2022 -
EE00002509
The telling tradition of Nasreddin Hodja/MollaNesreddin/Molla Ependi/Apendi/Afendi Kozhanasyr/ Nasriddin Afandi anecdotes
The Telling Tradition of Nasreddin Hodja/Molla Nesreddin/Molla Ependi/Apendi/Afendi Kozhanasyr/Nasriddin Afandi Anecdotes is an intangible cultural heritage element on social practices and festivals related to the tradition of telling anecdotes. It is transmitted orally among generations and is shaped around Nasreddin who became a symbol of humor and wisdom. Although there are slight differences about images, names and anecdotes of Nasreddin in communities, the main features of the element have been shared as a common heritage in the Submitting States. Communities acknowledge that he was a wise person who analyzed the society well and gathered shared intelligence, thought and life experience of people in his own personality. The anecdotes of him are short and intensive narrations transmitted through oral tradition and written sources, attributed to Nasreddin whose reputation spread to the wide geographical area. Some of the anecdotes have become classic, and the epigrams of these anecdotes have turned into idioms and proverbs in time. His anecdotes are intensely practiced in the printed and visual media as well as in the oral tradition and especially in the programs prepared for children. In the anecdotes of Nasreddin, the components of wisdom, repartee, witticism, common sense, absurdity and surprise merged firm and these are distinguishing features of the anecdotes. Nasreddin breaks very often accepted norms and concepts, while finding an extraordinary way out of the situation, where he is always the winner, by the power of word. Anecdotes call for humor, satire, sarcasm, and cynicism, to reveal the negative traits of people. However, the anecdotes is a genre with an instructive, entertaining function, a profound meaning that ends with moral, intellectual, and logical results. His anecdotes include relations of different people and their behaviors in various situations. Through his anecdotes, all kinds of unpleasant behaviors are being criticized and judged through humor. Communities in the Submitting States enrich conversations with his anecdotes and support speeches with his witticism. His anecdotes are narrated easily by everyone to strengthen any thought by giving examples in the dailylife, to convince other people or to explain a situation. In some Submitting States, although there is no specific narrator or teller of these anecdotes, the artists of traditional theatre use the element to enrich their narratives and to entertain people. On the other hand, there are specific tellers of the anecdotes in some Submitting States (Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan). The anecdote tellers select words and perform with great care. In this sense, it mostly depends on knowledge, understanding, thinking, performance culture and skill of the performer to tell anecdotes in meaningful, impressive and funny way. It is important for performer to know various life situations, possess an impressive culture of speech, and make use effectively and skillfully his face, eye, hand, and body movements. In Submitting States, local administrations, municipalities, universities and NGOs which play significant roles in transmission of the element, organize various activities and festivals periodically for commemoration of Nasreddin at local, national and international levels. Public participation in these festivals and activities is considerably high.
Turkey,Uzbekistan,Kazakhstan,Kyrgyzstan,Tajikistan,Turkmenistan,Azerbaijan 2022 -
EE00002495
Pleng Chaiyam (Chaiyam Music)
"Phleng Chai Yam" is lively, and funny and captivates the audience's attention. This music is played to celebrate many festivals such as Bon Pka festivals, almsgiving, dragon baptism, and so on. Apart from this, you can also play in some other events such as marching, leading leaders or players, etc. Chaiyam musical instruments include 5, 7, and 9 long drums (may be more or less as possible), one or a pair of krab, one or a pair of chap, one gong mong (as a rhythm giver or so-called master) And sometimes there are cheong and tro to support as well. For the costume, men are wearing Kben, Sontaes shirt, using different bright colors with a scarf around their waists. Most of the characters wear funny face masks made of paper. Sometimes there is also a female character holding Chap to accompany the dance. If there is no woman, there must be a man dressed as a woman. Many festivals are held at pagodas, so each pagoda always has a Chai Yam band.
Cambodia -
EE00002494
Tumneam Si Sla-Mlu (The Tradition of Chewing Betel Nut and Leave)
Traditions of Si Sla Mlu are deeply rooted in the societies of Asian countries, including Cambodia. In Cambodia, Sla-Mlou has become an integral part of all Khmer traditional ceremonies from birth to death, as well as other religious ceremonies of both the people and the king. The royal word to call Mlu-Sla is “Preah Srey”. Mlu Sla is important at home, especially for the wealthy, to have luxurious things for keeping this Sla Mlu. Those things are made from wood, bamboo, Ror Peak, and silver or gold, as well as Kmok Mreak and fine designs, as they are not only used to store Sla Mlu, but also for home decoration, and even in large ceremonies at the royal palace. It is seen to be placed on the table near the place where the King sit down. Before the Khmer wedding, there is a ceremony called "engagement." In that ceremony, the elders and the parents of both sides "Si Sla” as a testimony of the engagement ceremony, and even have the words" Si Sla Pjoib Peak”. It is believed that Sla Mlu is a medicine and a sacred object because the Khmer therapist chews it to spit and blow to cure diseases (Tlos, Krech, Rerm, especially Peus Plerng…) or spitting to avoid the disease from harassing and expelling evil. About two decades ago, eating Mlu Sla was a common practice for both men and women, and some are even addicted to eating Sla. Mlu Sla is a snack to welcome guests who visit. That is why Sla Mlu is often planted in almost every house. Occasionally there is a burning of Kombor (from the shell of clams, snails, and sea snails) by itself. Locals understand that eating Sla makes teeth stronger and does not cause bad breath. Eating Sla makes the teeth darker and this may be the popularity of that generation. But the Khmer people say Si Sla, apart from Sla, there are other ingredients such as Mlu, Kombor, and Tnam Juk. And the way to eat is by applying Kombor on one leaf of Mlu leaf eat together with young or ripe Sla. If the elders are without teeth, Sla and Mlu will be grinded together so that he or she can eat afterward. Then squeeze a small amount of Tnam Juk and roll it between the teeth and the lips. Some Jok Tnam without eating Sla. The sla is not swallowed, it is spit out. The saliva that comes out is as red as blood and it will make the house dirty if there is nothing to put the saliva in. That is why we always see in every house there is a spittoon for saliva, and that spittoon is also a valuable tool for showing off the wealth, the same resources as the things that used to store Sla-Mlu. In literary texts, whether it is Lberk, poetry, or song, this Si Sla Mlu tradition is also included, and there are even more legends related to the origin of this Sla-Mlu.21 Nowadays, the Si Sla-Mlu tradition has declined somewhat, especially for people in the city and children because they no longer make their teeth black like before.
Cambodia -
EE00002493
Tbanh Chang-er (flat basket weaving)
The main function of "Chang-Er" is used for winnow rice, beans, sesame, and so on. Besides, it can be used for drying other things. There are three types of Chang-Er and they are Chang-Er om (for winnowing), Chang-Er Krong (for drying things), Chhnang Kolobei (which is smaller and has a shallower expression than Chang-Er om used for drying things). The main material used for making Chang-Er is bamboo. The first weave the bamboo and cut it into shapes according to the size of Ehang-Er and split it into small squares of about 5 centimeters. Then put it on a small, thin strip and seal it neatly, the bamboo center section is called the "Bantos Antorng" and the back section is called the "Bantos Tbanh" Also, they have to soak the closed bamboo board in water for 2 or 3 days before weaving. The first stage is called "Antorng or korbat" After extracting Bantos from the water, you can weave them together until it has the smooth shape of chang-er. The next step is to take the woven skein to put it in a “Kandab” bamboo skewer with a round shape on one side and a flat one on the other side and bend it in a circle according to the shape of the Chang-Er. In order to place the Kandab Chang-Er, the woven skein is bent around to make it rise, and then Bantos Kandab is used to pinch both sides around the place where the punch is made until it is completely formed. Then they use a sharp iron (called a "Jak Kantob") and "Knouch" (a double-strand rope made from Phdao) to tie around the crotch so that the woven Chang-Er does not slip out of the Kandab. Finally, the woven Chang-Er will be lightly roasted in the kiln, which is dug into a hole about half a meter deep. There is also another to make chang-er in closed walls with a roof like a hut. Before roasting, water is poured on the stove to moisten it slightly to prevent the ash from heating up. For Chang-Er that do not have walls and roofs, old mats are used to cover Chang-Er to keep a good heat. The fire must be taken care of carefully, because if the fire is too strong, it will burn, but if the fire is too low, the Chang-Er will not be red.
Cambodia -
EE00002492
Pithi Leang Arak (The Medium Spirit Ritual)
In traditional Khmer belief, "The Medium" refers to ghosts that have spiritual power and often live in seas, rivers, lakes, creeks, streams, and ponds. Others live in trees, bushes, and mountains, and have their own more or less power. When traveling in the forest or crossing the lake, travelers must mind their words and speak carefully because some words may interrupt or annoy the spirits guarding the place, yet it will cause illness or other disasters. Another type of ghost refers to the souls of ancestors who are believed to be dead, but the soul or spirit does not die with the body. They are around to help take care of and protect children, but sometimes those souls are also angry and punish their children if they make a mistake and do something wrong. It is believed that if a person is “Arak Kach” there are weird signs such as the person is sick, trembling with fear, mouth paralysis slurred speech, or inability to walk…etc.) Although today's society is evolving to a more modern level, including modern medicine, Cambodians, especially those living in remote areas, are still seeking traditional treatment such as ghost possession. Therefore, if there are any disasters such as disease, eradication, drought, or lost cattle, and lost property for no reason, the locals will seek help from “Kru Hmor” to predict or use a method called “Bol” or summon a spirit called “Ban Jorn Arak”, each of the methods can tell the locals about a root cause behind the incidents that happened. After they found out the cause, they had to organize a "Leang Arak" ceremony, or “Ban Jorn Roub” and make an offering for Arak spirits to keep a promise. In some areas, when a male or female is possessed by a spirit, people believe that the spirit is an Arak. But in other areas, such as in the north of Siem Reap, Angkor people called a spirit that possesses a male and female body differently. If the spirit possesses a male body is called Arak, whereas a spirit that possesses a female body is called "Memot". That is why sometimes we hear people call "Pithi Leang Arak" and sometimes we hear "Pithi Leang Memot". The ritual is organized by an individual, a family, or a community to pray for a well-being for everyone. As for the date, protocol, and agenda in Pithi “Leang Arak”, we observe that they vary slightly from region to region. As mentioned above, the residents of Angkor (north against Phnom Kulen and south against Tonle Sap Lake), especially the village north of Angkor Thom (Nokor village, Pronit village, Prasatchar village, Phlong village, village Leang Dai, Daun Ov village, Tak village and Samrong village, etc.) call a spirit possesses male body is called Arak, whereas a spirit that possesses a female body called "Memot", but from time to time, we also see one or two Arak spirits to join Leang Memot with Memot spirit too. The locals in this area hold this ritual once a year, during Meak month to commemorate the Memot, who helps to cure the villagers' illnesses and make them happy. The ritual was held with ten to fifteen people who are ready to be possessed by Memot and one Memot Master. Locals believe that each person has her own birth teacher spirit “Kru Komnert” who looks after her life. Therefore, they have to install an altar and prepare offerings or Jorm Komnert for the spirit. Some install the altar on the head of the bed. There are two types of Jorm Komnert, one is made of a ripe coconut and another is made of carved wood with legs in the shape of monkeys and other animals. During the Leang Memot, participants have to bring Jorm Kru Komnert and Jorm Memot to put on a tray together. For those who have just joined or their, Jorm is torn and old, they have to make a new one that day before the ritual begins. The offerings and utensils were also prepared on the day of the ritual, including a basket of rice for storing rice, and on the basket of rice was a tray of offerings such as a banana, orange juice, fruit juice, water perfume, ten incense sticks, five candles, cigarettes, Mlu, Sla, Bay Srey Pak Cham. These items are stacked under the tray of Jorms, which is placed in front of their respective seats. At around 7 pm, the Leang Memot ritual begins. At that time, the Arak music band began to pay homage and then began to play music for Main Memot to possess the body. After playing two or three songs, the Memot spirit begins to possess and make strange gestures, some wearing a scarf on his head or tying his waist, while others wear a skirt (usually a Hol), pulling a sword or carrying a pole to dance rheumatically, the locals realized that the Arak spirit is possessing Memot body, so they shouted and clapped their hands to make the Memot dance happily, it continued until 11 PM which made the ritual very noisy. Until all the bodies are possessed by Memot, they would together joyfully. Finally, Memot Thom prays, then the villagers take the offerings “Pe Sam Neann” (Offering) and throw them away in order to avoid any misfortune or other diseases. In other parts of the region, Leak Arak ritual may be held in private, arranged by relatives of a patient in order to find out the root cause of the sickness. The most common offerings are Bay Sey, Sla Tor, Pe, candles, incense sticks, and flowers. The food offerings include rice, soup, bananas, boiled chicken and pork heads...etc. In addition, there is an Arak music band, and especially there is a messenger called “Snom”, a woman who interrogates and interprets to the spirits that possess the body and she also helps facilitate the ritual. When the ritual begins, Arak music is played to summon the spirit to possess the body. When the spirit possessed the body, the woman start to ask questions and find the root cause of the sickness. What has the patient done wrong? and plead the spirit to cure the patient with a promise to offer a steam chicken and port head to let the demons help heal the sick by promising a rooster, a pig's head, offering music, or whatever the ghost commands.
Cambodia -
EE00002491
Pithi Bon Sob (Funeral Ceremony)
People in the world believe in the incarnation, and in order to be reborn, relatives and friends have to perform many ceremonies dedicated to their beliefs; however, the practice of this tradition varies from nation to nation. Even within Cambodia may vary by region. In the city or town, the body is usually cremated immediately within a few days after the death and the ashes are collected. This can be explained by the fact that the location and lifestyle required this. In some areas, after death, the body is permanently buried. In other areas, especially the Angkor region, Siem Reap, whether rich or poor, a deceased person must go through two major ceremonies. In the first stage, when death occurs, it is very important to perform a funeral one to two days, after the body is buried in the grave for at least a year. The locals understand that this is to let the earth embrace the body and feed the animals, that is, let the soil and water (adjacent to the soil) dissolve the body one step at a time. When the flesh is rotten, only the bones are left, and then the bones are burned and the air finally dissolves. This is because the human body is made up of four elements: water, earth, fire and air, and when dissolved it is made up of these four elements. According to the locals, the feeding of animals does not refer to vultures or other animals, but to earthworms. When a Chinese diplomat named Chiv Takwan arrived in Angkor in the 13th century, he wrote “a human corpse is placed in the wood to be eaten by animals”, it is believed that the soul will be incarnated faster”. Whatever the tradition, the main reason is how to get the dead person to reincarnate. The second stage is the cremation. Before the ceremony, the priest must do the ritual of "Yorng Sob" which is to remove the bones from the pit, wash them, pack them in rags, and wrap them in another mat, then place them on a tree trunk. After that, they arrange a joint cremation on the field. Because the burial was made long ago before the cremation and it is a joint cremation, so they could choose the day and the month as they wish. Cremation is usually held during the month of Phalkun, and although the ceremony lasts for several days, the day of the cremation has to be on "Ronoch". In general, this cremation is very solemn because it is held together by many families with about 10 to 100 corpses. In the case of any family with sufficient resources or the corpse of the former chief priest of the pagoda, it can be done separately, but it is very rare. The funeral lasts for 3 nights and 3 days. On the first night, they started a ritual called “stealing the corps” by taking the corpse (the package of bones from the Yorng Sob task) and hanging it on a tree or putting it in Saley cart until the evening of the third day before the corpse procession to the funeral hall or crematorium or "Phnom Yorng " or called "Meru") in the Khmer language. In the morning, on the first day, elders, priests and relatives of all the corpses prepare according to their respective duties and affordability. Achar (Priest) Yogi draws 12 soul flags, Achar organizes Buddha altars and an eight-story pavilion. Grandmas prepare Bay Betabor, Bay Sey and Sla Tor and men Jak Jek, making sand mountain, making Rean Nim Reach or Rean Puth Kun and Phnom Yong. Whereas, young women prepare spices, fish, meat for cooking and baking. On the same day, the initiator of the festival brings “Kroeung Bonlong” to a nun who has a role of "Keas Junh Jean Tbong". A priest ordains a man who will “Buos Mok Plerng”. Another priest performed the ritual of calming the coffin by measuring a banana vine and sprinkling water on the coffin. In the afternoon (around 3 PM), Acha Yogi performs Krong Pali. The next ritual is to raise the Aphitorm flag and the crocodile flag. The work is solemn as there is "Chark Ho." Later, seven monks recite prayers and performed sermons, and the next work is “Apisek” on Buddha statue. The ritual ends with a performance on the scene which “Socheata took honey “Mathubayeas” to give to the Buddha. In the early morning of the second day, arriving at the funeral hall, they piled up the sand, from a nearby pond to build a mountain with perfect decoration. According to the elders, the sand mountains represent the stupas in the Trinity. After that, the priests and elders performed the ordination ceremony of the sand mountain. On the second day, from about 3 to 4 pm, they prepare a reception. Traditionally, they often make Num Banjok “Khmer noodles” for the reception. It was about 4:30 when the corpse procession leaves the place where it was kept and enter the festival hall. The procession was followed by ritual items. The nun wears a gem ring, sitting in the front row, while the relatives of the corpse carry pole of Balong, and there is a monk sitting on a wheelless cart carried by men. Next, relatives were strapped by Sbov Pleang knot to a Somley cart, and four monks sit on the cart. If it is a procession of the body of the King or the body of the high priest, chariot is decorated and designed as a dragon or phoenix. Upon entering the Pnum Yorng, they process three rounds around the mountain. Then, Achar Yogi and Achar Phluk, they perform prayers and prayers in front of the Rean Puth Kun. Relatives of the corpses placed fragrant vines under the coffin. They make gods to come down and offer fire, and firecrackers were set on fire to run and set the coffin on fire. While worshiping, the Acha-yogi sits chanting dharma on the east side. As for the four Achar Pluk, they sit and chant dharma in the halls of each direction. The Keas Jun Jean Tbong nun meditates next to the funeral hall. This meditation session is to see which corpses have been received Balong and which corpses have not yet been received. After the cremation, Achar Yogi and Achar Phluk take banana leaves and a krama to cover the bones mixed with charcoal and rotate the Popil for the corpse. Later, the "transformation" ritual is the most important, Achar Yogi draw a human form and start a ritual for the corpse. Then Popil rotation ritual will be started, the relatives of the corpse collect the ashes, wash them with coconut water and put the ashes in a Krama hammock, and sing a lullaby to put the ashes to sleep as if putting the baby to sleep too. All ashes will be taken by relatives to keep at home for a while. The main rituals can be said to be over now, but the cremation ceremony will be completed on the morning of the third day, Rorb Bart ceremony and unrope sand mountain. So far, it is believed that the souls are not in peace yet, it is required to have one more ritual called interment of ashes. However, some families could not afford to keep the ashes at the stupa or under the temple grounds, they only do minor ritual. But if the family of the deceased has a prosperous life, they will hold another burial ceremony.
Cambodia -
EE00002490
Pithi Buos (Rite of Passage: the Ordination Ceremony)
"Ordination” is a part of rite of passage, meaning a transition of a teenage boy to a man "adolescence." In a traditional society, women and men are separated when they are in puberty. Young women are in rite of passage called Chol Mlub while men are in pagodas ordinated as monks. Women role is to take care of household chores and men explore or trade, so they can have enough basic knowledge. Therefore, in Khmer language, people say “Buos Rean” meaning to send boys to learn lifelong skills as well. Ordination ceremony are seen in many districts and regions across the country, and here are examples of locals who perform the ordination ceremony at Wat Athvar, Wat Angkor Mol and Wat Svay Leu in the Angkor area of Siem Reap province. Ordination ceremony at the Angkor area is celebrated by retaining many ancient traditions, and it is very solemn, as many villagers attend, sometimes in dozens, and with the participation of many close relatives. In that ceremony, there are accessories for the venerable person, and the main accessories that cannot be missed are srey ban rice, rice soul, Angkor Reab. Tver tmenh tools, Popil, monk bowl, coconut slator and monk robe. Apart from this, there must be Chum for maker, musician and Khgner. Ordination can be divided into two stages. In the early stages, all the young men put on make-up and costumes in a way that they are monk nor ordinary men; men nor women and not even called them as human but a dragon (Neak in Khmer language), that is why the ceremony is called dragon ordination or (Buos Neak). During the make-up, people use turmeric powder, powder and jewelry, to transform young men to girls. In some areas, the make-up is done at the ceremony house before going to the pagoda, but in other places, such as the locals around Athvar pagoda, Angkor area, Siem Reap province, they do make up and put on costumes at pagoda. From the evening of the first day, a priest (Achar in Khmer language) and the relatives of the dragon perform a blessing ceremony to worship the Preah Ratanatray - the next task is to summon the dragon's soul and tie hand for dragon. At this point, the Achar opens a sutra called "Dragon's Soul" to read (in some areas, the dragon's soul summon ends at dawn, along with the "Sucking the dragon’s soul”. The end of this task is to rotate Popil for the dragon. Then the Achar performed Angkor Reab, measuring the flat rice using the traditional scale, with a clock, a ship, and letting all the dragons lie on the flat rice prepared by the Acha. In the early morning, the dragon has to search the flat rice which he slept on. Then the Achar prepares for teeth cleaning ceremony for the dragon. At around 7 or 8 in the morning, they started the dragon procession by leaving the pagoda and passing through the town before returning to the pagoda. Sometimes they come together and pay homage to Angkor Wat three times before going to the pagoda. During this procession (except during the procession in AngkorWat) Dragons highly praised because all people, young and old, all travel on foot, and dragons usually ride horses or even elephants. If there is a shortage of horses, the dragon is allowed to sit on a bicycle with his grandmother or sister walking in front of him. For villagers who live far from pagoda, as in the case of Svay Leu villagers, the dragon procession is carried by a bullock cart decorated with colorful flowers, and the locals can ride a bullock cart. A dragon, however, the seat of the dragon is still supreme. The procession is accompanied by Pin Peat or Chai Yam music. Before entering the pagoda, all the dragons have to do the work of “worshiping the sun at the gate of the pagoda. At Angkor Mol pagoda, the sun worship is done in front of the temple. At the end of the task, they offered three rounds of prayers to the temple. What is interesting at Angkor Mol pagoda is that when marching to the temple, the dragon rides his brother or sister. At the end of the procession, the dragon enters the temple to perform the last important task called "Oub Bacheer” which is the transition from a dragon to a monk. A monk who performs this task is called "Oub Bacheer” is a monk who has been ordinated for at least 10 years and has a deep dharma discipline. During the task, Neak has to memorize some dharma in order to reply to the monk. Last of all, is “Teak Kor Neak” it is when the dragon had to change his clothes and take off his jewelry and take over the robe of Chipor, and leave his life in this world and his home to start a monkhood in a pagoda. As already mentioned above, ordination at this time is a stage to practice self-discipline and learn various skills before living in society and starting a family. Therefore, the Cambodian society values man who was ordinated as a monk and they want him to be their son-in-law because they understand that the man is educated and skillful.
Cambodia -
EE00002489
Ambil (salt)
"Salt" is an essential ingredient for many kinds of foods and helps keep the human body strong and healthy. Not only that, salt is also used in many other ways, in everyday life, in the food and cosmetics industry, and in spiritual ceremony. To this day, Cambodia does not have to worry about finding salt ores, as there are coastal provinces that can produce enough salt to supply the country's consumption. In the past, the people who live along the seaside traditionally made salt by extracting seawater and boiling it into salt, and that production was only for family use, not for sale. Then, in 1941-1942, a Cambodian named Poch deforested Ang Kol area (now in Phnom Leav commune, Kampong Trach district, Kampot province) to produce salt. At that time, he brought a Chinese man named Cheng from Bassac district (Kampuchea Krom) who knew how to make salt to help. Later, other businessmen came to do this business, so the salt production became more and more widespread until it reached the factory for processing salt. Some people in that area can grow rice and harvest salt because rice planting and salt production are done in different seasons. Rice is grown in rainy season and salt is produced in the dry season. The salt evaporation fields are generally inactive after the New Year. The way to cultivate salt fields is that they first need a fairly large amount of land near the sea, because they have to drain salt water into a large dam called“Srae Hal” or salt evaporation field. After that, they have fields that are built with dams next to each other, continuing inside the mainland. The salinity of the salt is calculated by measuring the salinity with a thermometer. The water in the dry field has a salinity of only "level 2". Then the water is left to "sleep" overnight in the dry field and then drained into the next field, where the salinity level rises to 5 degrees. "If the salinity level reaches "level 2" no plants can grow, not even sea fish can survive, and the bottom of the field is unusually hot. The water at this point is only around 4cm deep. The next day, it was drained to another field, when the salinity level reached "10". This was done until the end of the field, where the salinity level had risen to “level 25”, and a lump of salt appeared. The last field is called "cooked field," and the salt that is formed is called “Grow”. The work here is called “cultivating salt”. They have to hurry to "collect" and put it in storage every day, otherwise, the salt will freeze. When it is around 8cm high and the salt will harden like a rock. The hotter the day, the faster the water evaporates, and the faster the salt grows. The water is very hot, can reach 45 degrees. When collecting salt every day, sometimes it rains. If it rains a little or moderately, it does not cause any major problems, but if it rains too much, fresh water is drained through a canal. Drainage is not difficult because fresh water is lighter than salt water, so fresh water is on the surface. On the other hand, if fresh water is not drained, it will cause moss to grow suddenly. That is why the first thing to do is to clean the canals and clean all the fields so that there is no moss and then compress the soil. The salt depot must be built from plants such as wood or bamboo, etc. If metal is used, it will be rusty.
Cambodia -
EE00002488
Lbaeng Pranang Roteh Ko (Cow-cart Racing Game)
Cow-cart racing game is a traditional sport that Khmer people in the past loved to play, and today there are very few villages that still carry on this tradition, for example, in Prachum Ang village, Cheuong Kerb commune, Kandal Steung district, Kandal province, and Siem Reap province. This cart race is often played during the dry season, especially during the "Dar Lean" and "New Year" festivals to celebrate and gather after the rice harvest. Before the race arrives, those who take part in the sport must choose a cow that is big, tall, and run fast, and train them several times. For the race field, it needs to have lengths from 350m to 500m long and about 10m wide and have dried rice straw to divide the road in two lanes. The carts used in the race are called "Saley" or "Om Bors" carts. They are small, light but strong carts meticulously decorated. Konlos robe or tether rope is important during the race because it can stop the cow from running or give signs to the cow to run to the left and to the right. Konlos robe for cow and Bror Loa or ox collar is made of silk and folded together. The silk is tough, and soft and does not cause inflammation on the cow's nose. The racer must have Jun lougn (stick) to push the cow forward and hit the opponent's cow so that it does not step on the cart. For each race, there are two pairs of cows. The referee for the race must have a long stick made of wood or bamboo about 5m long is called "Hut Dor" to strike between the front and rear carts to determine which cart wins.
Cambodia -
EE00002487
Munkeatha (Magic, Supernatural Powers)
Cambodians, as well as some other nations in the world, believe in "Acphek Tamacheat,’ "Supernatural" in English, or "Surnaturel" in French. It is believed that nature has a special and mysterious power that cannot be seen or explained. Around us, there are various kinds of in-humans such as ghosts, demons, and monsters ... who sometimes hurt people. Besides, those invisible inhuman, witchcraft can cause people to be in great pain, madness, delusion, or even death, so in order to escape or avoid those dark magics, one must find something to protect oneself and it is known as "Mun Keatha". Mun Keatha is a word for self-defense (can be Khmer or Pali) in times of emergency, such as during a war. As for those who know the magic, most of them are monks, priests or elders who have been ordained or through a family line. It is believed that the effective use of occultism depends on the obedience of each individual, for those who possess occultism also need to adhere to certain traditions. Keatha has more than that and there are so many types. Some Keathas can be recited with the mouth, while others can be ‘Saek’ or spread on things like oil, wax, perfume, etc… to apply on hair or body. Sometimes it is mixed with herbs or some plants and eaten to get the ingredients and magic into the body to heal from disease and have power. For example, Sbaek kong (can’t be hurt) is a combination of medicinal plants boiled together and is said to wake up the Keatha.
Cambodia -
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Lkhon Sbaek Por (Coloured Leather Theatre)
"Colored Puppet" is made of cowhide and the characters are carved into pieces like large shadow puppets, but the carving of the colored puppets is not as detailed as the large shadow puppet. They paint and cut the details with a brush instead. On the other hand, the color puppet can be used to perform stories other than Reamker, such as in Sastra, legends, and Jataka tales, and only during the daytime. The stage to perform the color puppet is black canvas. The artists are both men and women. They dress up according to the characters and the story. Sometimes Neak Jert Sbaek has to leave the skin aside in order to perform, sing, talk, describe or exchange love, and then they raise the leather to continue with the story. The music accompanying the color puppet is a small band of Pin Peat and mostly borrows from the Morori music. The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts's color-leather theater was revived with the support of UNESCO in 2001. Stories that have been performed include Preah Lak Chinvong, Kray Thong, Preah Jinvong, Tip Sangvar, Preah Sothoun Keo Monohara, Ko Samuth Tuek Doh. These works were directed by Professor Pich Tum Kravil and two other assistants, Mr. Nguon Sam Ath and Mr. Mao Keng. The people who carved the leather were Mr. Seu Vuthy, Mr. Prak Siphannarath, and Mr. Det Sovutha.
Cambodia