Elements
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EE00002830
Tebe/Tebe-tebe
In Tetum, "Tebe" literally means "to kick with the feet". Tebe is a traditional Timorese dance known as Tebe-Tebe. It’s practiced in all municipalities of Timor-Leste, including Indonesian Timor (the western part of the island). This dance involves people holding hands, forming a circle or line, while dancing to the rhythm of traditional musical instruments or to the sound of traditional songs. Tebe is called by different names among various ethnolinguistic groups. It includes several forms, each designed to fulfill a specific purpose within the community, as passed down by the ancestors. Depending on its functions, tebe can be classify into three categories: • Tebe in Cultural ceremonies. Tebe in cultural ceremonies performed as a way of connecting and communicating with God or nature. The songs that accompany them often mention the sun, the moon, and high mountains, symbolizing requests for help and expressing gratitude. Tebe in this category include: tebe-beirana, from the municipality of Ermera; tebe-sosé and esalelo, from the municipality of Bobonaro; and tebe-Leoleo, from the municipality of Ainaro. These dances are widely performed in traditional ceremonies, such as sau-batar (corn harvesting), bolu-udan (invoking rain), hapara-udan (stopping rain), kuru bee lulik (fetching sacred water), and the inauguration ceremony of uma-lulik (sacred house), among others. • Tebe for festive entertainment. Tebe in entertainment is often performed during activities such as the construction of sacred houses, the harvesting of corn, the threshing of rice, the dragging of wood, and the celebration of national days. Festive dances include: tebe-sandole from the municipality of Liquiça; tebe-ohelelele and tebe-odi from the municipality of Baucau; tebe-herlelek and tali-bole from the municipality of Viqueque; tebe-cheilaho uma anakenu and tebe-oleleleo from the municipality of Lautem; and tebe-lesuhere and tebe-goulolo from the municipality of Bobonaro. • Tebe (dance) to welcome guests. It is performed to welcome the official government visitors or other special guests. Communities organize a warm welcome to express joy and show hospitality. Reception dances include: tebe-foder, from Ermera; tebe-kurikai and semanese, from Ainaro; and tebe-sai-rain, from Viqueque. The tebe sai-rain dance, in particular, is performed on a special occasion to welcome a newborn, during a ceremony known as "fase-matan" washing of the baby's eyes.
Timor-Leste -
EE00002829
Lakadou (Traditional Instrument)
Lakadou is a traditional musical instrument from Timor-Leste, crafted exclusively from bamboo. It combines the characteristics of strings or threads created from the bamboo itself. The construction of Lakadou showcases deep ancestral knowledge of sustainable natural material use. Its unique and melodic sound is produced by thin pieces of bamboo, carefully carved and stretched to act as strings. This instrument symbolizes the harmonious connection between Timorese culture and nature.
Timor-Leste -
EE00002828
Babadok (Traditional Instrument)
The Babadok is a traditional musical instrument that holds a central place in the cultural heritage of the Timorese community. Crafted from wood and animal skins, such as sheep and cow, it is tied with strings made of natural fibers. The instrument's shape and size vary based on the region and its specific purpose, but its role remains essential in cultural events and rituals. As a membrane instrument, the Babadok is integral to traditional music and dance forms, including the tebe-tebe. Its rhythmic beats provide the foundation for the movements in these performances. Mastering the Babadok requires exceptional skill and an innate sensitivity to rhythm. Often, its enchanting sound is complemented by other traditional instruments, such as the gong, creating a dynamic and vibrant symphony that embodies the spirit of Timorese artistry.
Timor-Leste -
EE00002827
Soọng cô Singing of the San Diu
In San Diu language, “soong” means to sing, “co” means to sing. Soong co singing of the San Diu people in Vinh Phuc is a unique folk performance that was born in the labor, production and community life of the San Diu people. Soong co singing is mainly about love dialogue and singing at weddings. Soong co is sung according to a book, with a pre-written score. The singer must know the song book by heart, they quote the lyrics in the book to sing riddles, the person answering also quotes appropriate sentences to sing in response to questions. They sing songs about love couple, nature, praise the loyalty of marital loyalty, praise the merits of grandparents and parents, teach people to live virtuously, humanely, and filially... Traditionally, the custom of singing Soong Co often takes place during the off-season, after harvesting crops in November and December of the lunar calendar, or during festivals, New Year's Eve, weddings, love songs, welcoming friends, brothers... Through actual surveys, the Soong Co of the San Diu people has about 1,000 songs. The language in Soong Co has a rustic origin, using onomatopoeia and ideograms quite richly and attractively. The way of addressing in Soong Co clearly shows the method of performing direct response singing, mainly in the first and second person. The basic characteristics of Soong Co music are expressed in melodies with 4 tones, sometimes 5 or 6 tones; The 4-tone scale is closely related to the 5-tone and 6-tone scales, appearing more often and creating a unique feature in the use of scales and singing rhythms. The rhythm in Soong Co singing is stable in duration, often using 2/4, 4/4 rhythm, sometimes free rhythm. Another outstanding feature in Soong Co music is that the pitch is not too large, the intervals are always successive, the high and low pitches are not high. The sounds a, ư, ơ, ơ, ơ... appearing at the beginning or end of the sentence mainly play the role of momentum notes, making the lyrics performed in an improvisational style, further enriching the musicality. With its typical value, Soong Co of the San Diu people in Lap Thach, Tam Dao, Binh Xuyen districts, Phuc Yen city, Vinh Phuc province was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2018.
Vietnam -
EE00002826
Pả Dung Singing of the Yao
Pa Dung, also known as "Pa Dung" or "Pao Dung", is a folk song of the Dao people. These are songs composed and passed down by the people, born a long time ago, originating from production labor and ancestor worship. Pa Dung, meaning singing Vi, is a popular folk music form of the Dao people. Pa Dung has two singing styles: daily Pa Dung and religious Pa Dung. Daily Pa Dung includes: lullabies, singing for fun, singing love songs, singing between men and women, singing lament...; Religious Pa Dung - customs includes songs used in traditional ceremonies of the Dao people such as coming of age ceremony, wedding ceremony, funeral or full month offering,… Singing in the daily style mainly relies on the "improvisation" talent of the singer, based on a number of available melodies, depending on the circumstances and the audience, a theme has different lyrics. In "Pao Dung", the Dao people divide singing into three forms. The first is singing (Pao dung), in this form, people sing with the longest breath; the second is reading singing (To dung), which is a form of singing with average breath, not taking as much breath as "Pao dung"; the third is speaking singing (Coong dung), this is the fastest form of singing, almost like talking to each other, sometimes with chanting and prolonging the voice. Through singing Pa Dung, Dao people express their thoughts, feelings, and wishes for a better life. Therefore, Pa Dung has a very important spiritual and cultural value for Dao people. With its typical value, Pa Dung of Dao people was included in the List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism under Decision No. 4069/QD-BVHTTDL dated October 30, 2018.
Vietnam -
EE00002825
Initiation Ritual of the San Diu
An important ritual in the life cycle of a person, for a shaman, an adult man, sometimes a woman. Through the initiation ceremony, it marks the man's maturity before the community and ancestors. The man is granted a title, granted a rank of spirit soldiers, recognized by the ancestors as a descendant, given a dharma name, worshiped by his parents and ancestors when alive, and met the Jade Emperor when dead. When performing, the family invites 9 shamans to organize the ceremony, of which 2 are the masters. To be ordained, the ordained person and the 9 shamans must go through 15 steps. At each step, there are many small ceremonies - each ceremony has different content but all have the same meaning of inviting the gods to give glory to the disciple. The coming of age ceremony usually goes through 3 levels, each time the level increases, the dharma name is changed and more spirit soldiers are granted to increase power and authority. The title ceremony begins with a petition. Offerings include 3 to 5 chickens, incense, flowers, fruit cakes, white wine, water... a positive paper, a negative paper, a petition. The person receiving the ceremony reaches the level of a Dharma Master. The Dharma Master performs the ceremony himself in his family, performs the usual rituals of praying and paying respects such as praying to ward off bad luck, praying for peace, praying for blessings, protecting the house, etc. The second time is the ordination ceremony. The ordination ceremony, a mandatory procedure, marks the maturity of the shaman, officially recognizing him as a member of the shaman profession of the San Diu people. After fully preparing the offerings, the shamans perform the ritual of purifying and protecting the altar, praying to the gods, offering wine and fruits, cakes, inviting the Three Thousand Dharma Masters, gods, and guardian spirits to descend to the altar. Next is the ceremony of recruiting heavenly soldiers, inviting thousands of heavenly soldiers, generals, gods, and masters to attend the ceremony. 37 gods are invited to witness the ordination ceremony. Coming to the ceremony of presenting the petition to the saints; presenting the token and seal of the person receiving the ceremony; offering and reporting the petition; offering the red scarf; ritual of establishing the throne; transmitting the signal of the Saint; providing military provisions; giving thanks; giving the grand rite. The petition of the shaman transmitted to the person receiving the ceremony consists of 24 papers. The papers with the sound are immediately burned. All the rituals take place continuously for two days and one night. The shaman who is ordained for the third time will reach the rank of Tong Xuyen. This is the highest rank for a shaman. The Cap Sac ceremony of the San Diu people in Thai Nguyen was included in the list of National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2018 by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Vietnam -
EE00002824
Grave-abandoning Ritual of the Raglai
In the life cycle rituals of the Raglai people, the Grave-abandoning Ritual is considered the most important ritual. The Grave-abandoning Ritual is performed from the third to the fifth year. It is usually held around March and April of the solar calendar, for 3-5 days, with the meaning of farewell to the dead forever according to the Raglai people's concept. The scale of the festival is large, attracting the whole village and many other villages to participate. Depending on the economic conditions and local customs, they make it big or small. For large Grave-abandoning Ritual, there is usually a Kagor - a symbol of wealth and prosperity that the living make to give to the dead. An offering in the shape of a boat, beautifully and elaborately carved. The offerings and items used in the Grave-abandoning Ritual are usually prepared by the deceased's family months in advance, including 3 trays of offerings: Tray 1: Chicken, rice, wine, 1 pair of chopsticks; Tray 2: Pig head, boiled pig liver, boiled chicken, rice, wine, bananas...; Tray 3: Chicken, rice, wine, meat... According to custom, in the Grave-abandoning Ritual, there must be 3 shamans, symbolizing the three parts of the body: head, body, feet. The main shaman always stands in the middle of two other people, called Yanuh jalat (the person who shows the way, shows food, drinks... to the ghost). The "magic stick" (gai toah) is made from the day someone dies, and only now does Yanuh jalat use it. In addition to the ritual, the Grave-abandoning Ritual includes beating gongs, stabbing buffaloes, dancing, singing, and drinking rice wine to celebrate the soul of the deceased. This ceremony involves the contributions of everyone in the Raglai clan and community. The Raglai Grave-abandoning Ritual expresses the feelings and responsibilities of the living towards the dead, at the same time expressing gratitude to grandparents, filial piety to parents, and the close-knit relationship between the village and the neighborhood. With its typical value, the Grave-abandoning Ritual of the Raglai people in Phuoc Chien commune, Thuan Bac district, Ninh Thuan province was included in the List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2018 by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Vietnam -
EE00002823
Whale Worship Festival in Quảng Bình
The Whale Worship Festival in Quang Binh is held on the 15th day of the first lunar month with the meaning of going out to catch seafood, wishing for a smooth sailing trip. In particular, the procession of the Thanh Hoang palanquin at the ancestral temple and the reading of the Than Ngu's funeral oration at Linh Ngu Temple are always the most unique parts of the Whale Worship Festival in Canh Duong. Fishermen, boat owners, members of cooperatives and cooperatives gather at Ngu Linh Mieu Temple and An Cau Ngu, offering incense and offerings to the Than Ngu - two giant whale skeletons that people often call Mr. and Mrs. whales. The procession consists of nearly three to four hundred people in beautiful traditional costumes. Along with that, the flags, parasols, palanquins, flowers... and boat models, along with the lion and dragon dance troupe, bring a vibrant festival atmosphere. The most important ritual part of the Whale Worship Festival is the reading of the Than Ngu's funeral oration. The most prestigious elder of the village is allowed to offer incense and read the funeral oration. The oration expresses gratitude for the protection and support of the whales and the whales for fishermen during their sea trips, as well as the fishermen's prayers for a peaceful and fruitful sea season. After the ceremony, there are festival activities with traditional folk games such as: basket shaking, boat racing, net weaving competition, etc. In addition, there are other activities such as: beach soccer, culinary competition. The Whale Worship Festival in the Quang Binh fishing village integrates many traditional art forms, folk performances, with their own identity and characteristics such as: bong dance, rowing on the can, swimming competition, etc. The most impressive is the rowing on the can - ho khoan performance, which combines the lyrics and melodies of smooth, lyrical tunes (including mai ba, mai nen, ho khoan); Unique is the running-word dance (or Dong Dang dance), which is a form of collective dance, holding flower lanterns while dancing, and arranging them into Chinese characters: "Thien-ha thai-binh", "cau ngu-dac loi" ... to pray for the country to be peaceful, a prosperous and happy life. The dance is flexible, combined and in harmony with the music from traditional instruments, such as: trumpets, sanh tien, xap xeng, drums ... The Whale Worship Festival in Quang Binh contains many cultural values and has an important meaning in consolidating the community. With its unique cultural and historical values, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recognized the Whale Worship Festival of coastal people in the districts of Quang Trach, Bo Trach, Quang Ninh, Le Thuy, Ba Don town and Dong Hoi city, Quang Binh province as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2018.
Vietnam -
EE00002822
Hò Folk Singing of Đồng Tháp
Hò Folk Singing of Đồng Tháp was born naturally, associated with the rhythm of life of the river and canal community, the open-minded, liberal character of the people, who love literature, singing, and rhymes in the Dong Thap Muoi region. Hò Folk Singing of Đồng Tháp developed in 3 main stages: From the beginning of the 19th century to 1945, Hò Folk Singing of Đồng Tháp was formed, absorbing the unique artistic elements of lullabies; In the period of 1945-1954, the singing melodies all had content supporting the resistance, commonly called Ho Resistance; In the period of 1954-1960, Hò Folk Singing of Đồng Tháp on the North left strong emotions in the hearts of listeners. Hò Folk Singing of Đồng Tháp is a type of singing on the water, the melody clearly expresses the thoughts and feelings of the people. The singing is slow, loose, the rhythm is fast and slow, high and low in 3 ranges: Low-medium-high. In the lyrics, this word, that word often appears as connecting musical lines. The unique feature of Hò Folk Singing of Đồng Tháp that no other folk songs have is the melody of the songs with a "high and low" melody. The musical art has a strong lyrical and profound character. In daily life and work activities such as rowing boats, planting rice... are favorable environments to create conditions for the emergence, existence and development of folk songs. Literary art uses the song that luc bat poetry form. When converting poetry into folk songs, they often insert the words "...ơ...ơ..." or "...ơ... hoa ơ..." into the verse to add breath, momentum, pause, and resonate. With its unique values, Hò Folk Singing of Đồng Tháp were recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage - a folk performing art form, in 2018.
Vietnam -
EE00002821
Sticky Rice Chupatty Making in Sơn Đốc
The Sticky Rice Chupatty Making has existed for a long time in the locality. The cake is made from 2 types of flour: sticky rice flour and tapioca flour, along with ingredients such as sesame, green beans, durian, jackfruit, coconut milk, chicken eggs, fresh green onions, sugar, etc. The sticky rice used to make the cake must be waxy, both fragrant and sticky. The coconut milk must be pressed from a dry, golden-brown coconut (just dried). The process of making the cake is very elaborate, going through more than 10 stages: The sticky rice is soaked for a few hours, then washed thoroughly, and steamed until the sticky rice is cooked. The cooked sticky rice is immediately poured into a mortar to pound with sugar and coconut milk. The sticky rice is pounded while still hot so the dough will be sticky quickly. The pounding stage determines whether the puffed rice cake is delicious or not. To make the cake puffier when baked, the bakers will add a little ground soybean flour. After pounding the dough, shape it into balls and roll them. When rolling the cake, the person peeling the dough must peel it evenly so that each piece of dough has the same weight, and must be skillful to make the cake round. In addition, whether the cake is delicious or not depends on the person turning the dough, who must turn it evenly, quickly and continuously so that the cake will rise and be spongy when baked. Here, they have 10 different types of cakes. The Sticky Rice Chupatty Making Son Doc, Hung Nhuong commune, Giong Trom district, Ben Tre province was included in the List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2018 by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Vietnam -
EE00002820
Rice Paper Making in Mỹ Lồng
The Rice Paper Making in Mỹ Lồng, My Thanh commune, Giong Trom, Ben Tre was born more than a hundred years ago. At first, the rice paper kiln only produced for many families in need during the spring days, Tet months or death anniversaries to worship ancestors, spring gifts for the family or in-laws, to entertain guests during the spring days or death anniversaries. By the 1980s, the 20th century, Rice Paper Making in Mỹ Lồng gradually became a commodity product and developed into a craft village, a craft commune. The difference between My Long rice paper and other places is that My Long rice paper is made from sticky rice and rich coconut milk of the homeland. The rice used to make the rice paper must be delicious, fragrant, not too dry, washed thoroughly and ground into a watery powder. The coconut must be old, with thick flesh, grated to get a thick and viscous milk. Mixing the rice paper is usually done by experienced people, the right and sufficient flour will prevent the rice paper from sticking to the mold, making it easy to flip when drying. People make rice paper with many flavors, especially with coconut or ginger, creatively combining the experience left by their grandparents. Finely ground rice mixed with coconut milk, ginger essence - depending on preference, you can add flavor, egg yolk to the cake, along with some spices such as sesame (black, white), salt, milk ... My Long grilled coconut rice paper product is famous for its characteristic stickiness, fatty taste and strong aroma of traditional sesame rice paper. Nowadays, rice paper has many varieties for tourists to choose from such as: egg milk rice paper, salty rice paper, ginger rice paper ... My Long rice paper has become the pride of the people of Xu Dua, Ben Tre province. With its typical value, the Rice Paper Making in Mỹ Lồng, Ben Tre province was included in the List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2018 by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Vietnam -
EE00002819
Thọ Vực Communal House Festival
The traditional festival of Tho Vuc Communal House is held on the 7th of January every year to commemorate the gods and generals under the Hung King dynasty, including Cao Son, U Son and At Son Dai Vuong. These are three characters associated with the culture of the Hung King era. Tho Vuc Communal House Festival takes place in many rituals such as: palanquin procession, god worship ceremony, incense offering ceremony with worship rituals at the village communal house, to pray to the gods for favorable weather, good crops, and peace for every family. The festival includes many folk games such as cockfighting, wrestling, chess, traditional arts... Through the festival activities, it not only meets the spiritual needs of the local ethnic people, but also preserves and maintains the cultural identity of the ethnic groups in the area. Tho Vuc Communal House Festival was recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2018.
Vietnam