The Mongol boots are made up of vamps, leather bootlegs, hide soles, clips and welts. The Mongol boots are ideal for horse riding, they are spacious, and the upturned tips prevent one from being caught in the stirrups. Mongolian boots are named for the number of the ornaments on it, starting mostly from eight and extending up to thirty-two. The craftsmanship of Mongol boots is a complex art of hand-making workmanship of craftsmen skilled with their ancestral inheritance, through already-set and special technique, style and design.

The Urtiin duu or “long song” is one of the two major forms of Mongolian songs, the other being the short song” (bogino duu). The Urtiin duu is a lyrical chant, which is characterized by an abundance of ornamentation, falsetto, an extremely wide vocal range and a free compositional form. The rising melody is slow and steady while the falling melody is often intercepted with a lively rhythm. Performances and compositions of Urtiin duu are closely linked to the pastoral way of life of the Mongolian nomads on their ancestral grasslands.

China,Mongolia 2008

Mongolian Khoomei (also known as “Hooliin Chor” or “Chor”) refers to the art of singing in which the singer produces, at the same time, a chorus of dual or heterophony purely with his or her own vocal organs, namely, a diversified harmony of two or more voice parts produced by one singer with the overtone based on his continued bass part from his throat in harmony with his continued bass part. It is the only form of singing technique in the history of human singing, a unique creation and outstanding contribution of the Mongolian people.

China 2009

Kurash is a type of national fight traditional among Turkic peoples, which is officially included in the world network of non-Olympic sports and is supported by UNESCO. Kurash is the oldest type of martial arts, the roots of which are located on the territory of modern Uzbekistan. According to the latest scientific research, the age of Kurash is at least three and a half thousand years. Kurash is one of the most ancient types of martial arts known to humanity. Kurash is an Turkic word, in translation means - "achieving the goal in an honest way." In those ancient times, it was martial arts and public physical entertainment at traditional holidays, feasts and weddings. References to it can be found in many ancient literary sources.

Worshipping practices of sacred sites in Mongolia have been developed in specific cultural space of nomadic lifestyle in the vast grassland steppe of Central Asia. One of the main characteristics of nomadic culture is its close relationship and harmony with nature and environment. These practices, according to ancient shamanism, are based on belief in the existence of invisible deities of sky, earth, mountains, and all natural surroundings. Furthermore, Mongolians believe that these deities exist on the top of the mountain or any hill between sky and earth and choose these places as sacred sites for the worshipping for and offerings to these deities. They pile up Ovoos (stone mound) in these places and perform worshipping rituals and ceremonies. All participants at the worshipping rituals ask a deity to bring a timely rain, to protect humans and livestock from natural disasters, and to bestow prosperity and blessings on the participants and local people of given areas. In early times, sacred sites were worshipped with shamanic rituals and these wonderful traditions were later enriched with Buddhist teachings and rites. In a sense of respect and symbol and in geographical importance, sacred mountains, hills or the head of rivers in general have become as a cradle (centre) of the natural and cultural areas concerned and create a specific socio-cultural space and a unique cultural heritage landscape. These sacred sites are the symbol of cultural identity and spiritual cohesion of local people concerned and a sacred site for performing worshipping rituals and organizing important social events and ceremonies of given communities. Researchers regard the worshipping practices of sacred sites as multi-functional and multi-content cultural heritage element. The worshipping rituals in Mongolia have originally been conducted by the kin group and later by the local and indigenous people of a specific areas and further by specific representatives of State authorities and interested people at national level. The procedures and ritual order of worship ceremony are usually similar but some differences can be observed in regards to local customs and traditions. In different places, the people who lead worship ceremony are variously called as the owner of Ovoo or head of Ovoo. Those experienced people should be native and respectful people. In rare occasions, if a ritual is conducted in the way of shamanic tradition, a shaman leads this ritual ceremony. If it is a Buddhist ritual, a monk leads a worship ceremony. The key organizer consults with respectful elders, the head of the Buddhist monastery or shaman about the time for conducting ceremony. Timing is determined in accordance with traditional astrology. Once the time is set up, the day of worship is publicly announced. A worship ceremony is often conducted during the summer and/or autumn of the year. In the early morning before sunrise, all participants, in their best dresses, carrying offering food and items, start to head towards the Ovoo together with their young children. Bringing young children to the worship ceremony allows the youngsters to learn the customs and traditions of the community. Before starting the worship ceremony, varied coloured ceremonial scarves are tied to the main wood that is placed in an Ovoo and a hand-made figure of the deity is placed on white cotton in front of the Ovoo. Offering food and items are also placed in front of the Ovoo. Honourable guests, usually elders, sit in the north west direction of the Ovoo. If the State worship ceremony is performed, a state official opens the ceremony by reading an official decree issued for particular worship ceremony. Buddhist monks sit in the north east direction of the Ovoo. There should be more than three monks. Monks should possess knowledge of how to recite (sutra) offering texts with the use of various musical instruments. Sometimes the elders recite offering texts. Offerings including dairy products or cooked meats are placed in the east of the Ovoo. Various aromatic substances such as juniper’s needle, wormwood and wild thyme are burned as a sanctification of the sacred site. The procedure of the ritual ceremony starts with invoking deities and nymphs to come to the offering site then followed by presenting various offerings to them. After making offerings, participants of the ceremony make requests to deities and nymphs to grant richness in livestock and bestow success and prosperity on them. Monks chant sutras dedicated to this mountain and Ovoo. Meanwhile, an arrow called as bringer of auspiciousness is shot towards the sky and mark out any livestock animal as being consecrated to a divinity. Following the ceremony, a festival of horse racing, wrestling and archery competition as well as singing and dancing take place immediately. This tradition is highly considered as one of unique and humane intangible cultural heritage of Mongolia. - Locals participate at sacred site worship ceremony on a voluntarily basis. The local elders personally teach younger people how to attend and behave at the worship ceremony. A sacred site worship ceremony brings all community members together and builds a sense of community and solidarity. - The worshipping natural environment creates more awareness among the people about interdependence between human beings and the environment and creates more respect for the nature. This is one of the best environmental protection methods that has been preserved by the Mongols since ancient time. - The ritual procession is based on Mongolian folk beliefs, literature, poetry, song, dance, rituals, festive events and as well as handicrafts. Thus, the sacred site worship ceremony preserves those ICH elements through time. In sum, it is clear that worshipping practices of sacred sites have immeasurable value both in transmission of ICH and as a source of public education, identity and pride. At the practical level, these practices play an important role in maintaining ecological balance and the preservation and protection of biological and cultural diversity. This heritage significantly contributes to the protection of our natural environment and wildlife as sacred and pristine.

Mongolia 2017

Naqqāli is an Iranian traditional theatre form, having originated in ancient Iran. This dramatic performance concerns telling of a story, history or non-history based, in a variety of genres. It is done either in verse or prose and accompanied by gestures and movements appropriate to the event related. Iran enjoys a long tradition of Naqqāli. This tradition was called “Gowsān” during Parthians (3rd BC-3rd AD). “Gowsān”s (the reciters) acted as entertainers to both kings and ordinary people. Under the Sassanids (3rd-7th AD), Naqqāli was highly regarded at court, where it used to be called “Xonyāgari”. Following the collapse of the Sassanid, these reciters emmigrated to remote areas to keep the tradition alive. In ancient times, they used to recite narrative poems, play musical instruments, sing, and act. Naqqāli is the oldest form of dramatic performance in Iran. Historically, it has adopted itself with socio-political circumstances. Before the Sassanid(651 AD), Naqqāls were poets and musicians simultaneously. They recited stories along with playing instruments. Bārbad was the most renown Naqqāl of the Sassanid. During Ghaznavids(10th-12th AD), the Court banned musical Naqqāli. But the tradition survived in remote areas. Two important events occurred during the Safavid period (16th-18th AD): establishment of coffee-houses and applying “Parde”. Parde introduced a new style in Naqqāli, and coffee-houses became exclusive venues for Naqqāls for, at least, 300 years. Up to several decades ago, great coffee-houses hired Naqqāls. Unfortunately, the strong influence of western culture and break down of the old traditions caused a decline in popularity of coffee-houses; consequently, Naqqāl's lost their traditional audiences During the Islamic period, such reciters were known under various names; such names had their origin in the types of the repertory of the tales they recited. One example is, so called, “Shāhnāme-Xān”s, who were specialized in reciting tales from Shāhnāme, the great Persian epic by Ferdowsi. This naming style can still be traced. In addition to Persian literature, Naqqāls needed to be acquainted with expressions referring to the local culture, or the Iranian traditional/folk music. Thus, they functioned as both entertainers, and bearers of Persian literature and culture, while encouraging national cohesion. Nowadays, the language of recited narrations is not limited to Persian; these tales are allowed to be narrated in regional dialects or languages. Up to several years ago they were the most important guardians of folk-tales, ethnic- epics and Iranian folk music. Naqqāli requires considerable talent; no one can arrive at eminence in this line except men of cultivated taste and retentive memory. They must not only be acquainted with the best ancient and modern stories, but be able to change them in relation to new incidents, either heard or invented. They must also recollect the finest texts of poetry, which they may quote from. The audience are normally acquainted with the tale, so the Naqqāl requires the charm in his performance, an attractive voice quality, as well as skill in acting to captivate them. The Naqqāl is alone in performing a rich range of roles, such as those of kings, queens, warriors, princesses, beggars, etc, convincingly. He is even a master in producing sound effects, including horse galloping, fencing ,etc. Master Naqqāls, even, are well equipped with a knowledge of Iranian sports, while they recite skills in wrestling and fencing, among others. There are two groups of practitioners, the Professional and the Seasonal. They may perform in coffee-houses, tents of nomads, houses, and historical places like ancient caravanserais. The Professionals, who are few in number now, earn their living from Naqqāli; seasonals have other occupations, too. Nowadays, professional Naqqāls are mostly invited for official ceremonies sponsored by municipalities or governmental institutes. Seasonal Naqqāls mostly perform in regional ceremonies like wedding parties, or even mourning ceremonies. However, both groups have been invited for Iranian Ritual-Traditional Theatre Festivals since the very beginning of its establishment. Naqqāls, especially Morsheds (master Naqqāls), wear costumes reminiscent of Dervishes cloths. They may, even, use ancient helmets, or armoured jackets in the middle of the performance, to create a sense of reality for the battle scenes. Their multifunctional canes may represent a wide range of motifs, including a beautiful beloved, a horse, a sword, etc. “Parde”, used by some Naqqāls, is a painted curtain in the Coffee-House-Style. Having preserved all the logical, religious and traditional styles, it has flourished as a sign of respect for popular beliefs. The painters have been messengers of light and impossible dreams. Due to the fact that this unique theatrical performance always presents one of the deepest and genuine layers of the national Iranian culture, its protection will definitely serve to safeguard the national and historical roots of it. Besides, it can be a source of inspiration for literary figures and artists all around the world. Every form of art is a unique language faciliating peaceful communication among different cultures. In this regard, Naqqāli should be considered as an international heirtage in urgent need for safeguarding.

Iran 2011

“Hıdrellez” is a compound name derived from “Hıdır” and “İlyas”. They are believed to be sacred figures who meet each other once in a year on May 6th and are considered to be the protectors of earth and water as well as helpers of individuals, families and communities in need of them. May 6th is accepted and celebrated as Spring Day, awakening of nature. According to the beliefs of some communities a year is divided into two seasons in accordance with the visibility and invisibility of the star Pleiades that cannot be observed from May 6th until November. The element is maintained today, various ceremonies and rituals connected to the nature are performed providing well-being, fertility and prosperity of family and community, protecting livestock and crops for the upcoming year. On the evening of May 5th, young people gather in a house and prepare one storage pot made of clay in which there are some herbs and water, where each participant put different small personal object called “nishan” inside with some wish for the following year. Covered with red cloth the pot is left under a rose bush, and left during the night. Before sunrise on May 6th, the courtyard of a house is cleaned and in the middle a bonfire is lit. It is believed that as higher the fire goes, the more productive the upcoming year will be. Young people jump over the fire and go in the nearest green field or forest where they collect different herbs and green plants. They put swings up on a fertile tree and while swinging sing Hıdrellez songs. After that the young people go to the garden, where they have put the pot and proceed to the ritual called “Martufal”: A young girl, whose parents are alive, mixes the nishans inside the pot and picks them out one by one. The picked nishan is shown to the people around, while giving it to its owner they sing a quatrain called “Mani”. Each nishan is considered to be magical and each mani should bring luck and good health to its owner. After the Martufal the participants have family lunch, the celebration continues all day with wrestling games called “Pelivan” and dancing festivities organized by the local communities.

Macedonia,Turkey 2017

Hai Ba Trung Temple, also known as Ha Loi Temple, Me Linh Commune, has a very important historical significance. This is the place to worship two national heroines, Trung Trac and Trung Nhi - the leaders of the uprising to overthrow the Han Dynasty and regain national independence and autonomy in 40 - 43 (AD). Trưng Sisters Temple Festival - Me Linh is held annually at the beginning of the first lunar month at the Temple to commemorate the two Ladies' contributions. The main festival opens from the 6th to the 10th of January with incense offering ceremonies, processions, sacrifices, palanquin handovers... Every 5 years, in years ending in 0 and 5, people will organize a palanquin procession of Hai Ba Trung with the four tutelary deities of Ha Loi village. From the 4th of January, local people will perform a bathing ceremony, changing the cover of the statue of the Queen. Then, on the 4th and 5th, the locals will hold a ritual to worship the Two Ladies at the village communal house with the village's tutelary god, the four generals (the brothers Do, Ho, Bach, and Hac who helped Thanh Tan Vien restore the Hung dynasty). In the procession of the Two Ladies from the Temple to the Communal House, there will be: 2 elephants, 2 horses, a team of young women wearing white shirts carrying the palanquin, a team of female guards wearing brown shirts, wearing leggings, carrying swords like soldiers in ancient times, and two teams of women carrying the two palanquins. In addition, there will be a team of men wearing blue ceremonial shirts with seals, a team of musicians, a team of money bearers, a team carrying flags, long swords, and eight treasures, umbrellas, and parasols, creating a solemn atmosphere for the festival. On the morning of the 6th, the villagers will send the Two Ladies back to the capital. The Trưng Sisters Temple Festival in Me Linh has its own unique feature, which is the palanquin handover ceremony. The procession will have the following order: Thanh Hoang palanquin and General Cot Tung will stand on both sides of the yard to pay respect to the Two Ladies returning to the capital. When leaving the Temple, Trung Trac palanquin will go first. When reaching the road to the village communal house, Trung Nhi palanquin will go first. When reaching the communal house gate, the elder palanquin will go first, the younger palanquin will go after. Both sides will welcome the two ladies. This ceremony symbolizes the image of the king returning from the capital Me Linh to visit the village. From the 7th to the 10th of January, the Trưng Sisters Temple Festival will include the ritual to pay respect to the six female generals, the blessing ritual, the banquet and the thanksgiving ritual. After the ritual, the festival will feature many folk games such as: swing, blindfolded goat catching, traditional wrestling... and performances reenacting the heroic feat when the two ladies sacrificed the flag to start the uprising, creating a bustling and joyful atmosphere for the festival. The festival contains noble humanistic values, educating the tradition of patriotism, the morality of drinking water and remembering its source.

Thuong Liet village festival, also known as Gieng festival, is held from the 10th to the 12th of January (lunar calendar), at the communal house - pagoda - mausoleum complex of the village, to commemorate the merits of Princess Tran Thi Quy Minh. On the morning of the 10th, Thuong Liet village festival begins with the ceremony of carrying Buddha's offerings from Thien Duc Tu pagoda, going around the village, and finally returning to the communal house. In the afternoon, the female worshiping delegation performs the incense offering and proclamation ceremony. The most special is the procession of the teacher, the female worker and the flag and fan spear dance. The teacher and the female worker are selected according to traditional regulations. On the morning of the 11th and 12th, the villagers organize the procession of the female worker of the two villages of Dong Thuong Liet and Tay Thuong Liet. Previously, Thuong Liet organized the procession of the teacher, but in recent years, the teacher has not organized the procession, only the female worker. The teacher has the responsibility of welcoming the ceremony, the ceremony, the female worker used to teach the children to dance, but now she does not have to teach the dance, she only supervises the children's dance. According to the village rules, a person can be a teacher many times, but a worker can only be a worker once in a lifetime. The master of ceremonies performs the Saint ceremony and starts the Spear-flag-and-fan dance. During these 2 days, there is also a ceremony to bring offerings from the villages and hamlets in the commune to the Saint. At the same time, the Spear-flag-and-fan dance team is selected - "Miss Len". The Spear-flag-and-fan dance is an ancient dance, associated with traditional rituals that appeared in Giang village since the Tran Dynasty. During the ceremony, the two ladies wear ceremonial costumes, sit in hammocks, and command and supervise the dance groups on the East and West sides of the communal house. This is a form of collective folk dance combined with a couple dance. The content describes the princess's mood before going far away to say goodbye to her father. The dance team consists of 40 - 50 people. Each of the Miss Len (dancers) holds a small flag and a paper fan to fold during the dance. In some dance classes, there is also a rông reader and a troupe leader. There are about 36 different dance levels. The dance movements focus on depicting rural life. When dancing, the flag and fan hands are sometimes on one side and sometimes on the other, changing the flag hand to the fan hand, often called "trao co, trao fan", the local pronunciation is "giao". Besides the rituals, procession and dancing with flags, spears and fans, the festival also has folk games and entertainment such as cockfighting, chess, tug of war, wrestling... Thuong Liet village festival has profound historical value, associated with the story of Mrs. Tran Qui Minh, who reclaimed the land, established the hamlet to create today's Giang village. With its typical value, Thuong Liet village festival was included in the List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2018.

The Lảnh Giang Temple Festival relic site is located in Yen Lac village, Moc Nam commune, Duy Tien town, a relic complex with long-standing historical - cultural - architectural and artistic values. The temple worships three generals of the 18th Hung Due Vuong era who had great merit in defeating the Thuc invaders, keeping the country's borders peaceful, and worships Chu Dong Tu - Princess Tien Dung. Currently, Lảnh Giang Temple preserves many valuable Chinese documents and worship objects. The Lảnh Giang Temple Festival takes place twice a year in June (from the 18th to the 25th) and August (20th) of the lunar calendar, to express gratitude to the gods who protect the people and pray for a prosperous and happy life. The Lảnh Giang Temple Festival was only restored in 1996 - the year the temple was recognized as a National Historical and Cultural Relic. Currently, the June festival is considered the main festival by the people, the August festival is only held by the people to offer incense and make offerings. The festival takes place with rituals: water procession, saint procession, sacrifice ceremony, announcement ceremony... On the 18th day of the 6th lunar month, the local people organize the palanquin stacking ceremony, raise the God's flag in front of the temple, on the 21st day they start the announcement ceremony. The days from the 22nd to the 24th of June are the main days of the sacrifice and the procession of the Saint's palanquin around the temple. In which, June 24 is the main day of the Third Great Official's banquet, the head of the Lảnh Giang temple organizes a performance to welcome the saint from early morning. This is the occasion for singing to be performed in a cultural space imbued with the sacred Mother Goddess worship beliefs of the Vietnamese people at Lảnh Giang temple. On the 25th of June, a thanksgiving ceremony is held and the flag is lowered, the temple is closed. On the 25th day of the 8th lunar month, Yen Tu Temple (Moc Bac Commune, Duy Tien Town) worships Princess Ngoc Hoa and carries her palanquin to pay homage. The festival in June also includes a rowing game on the Red River and a water procession. The water procession from the Red River to Lảnh Giang Temple follows the custom of worshipping the Water God. Water is taken from the middle of the Red River and brought back to be used as offerings and to bathe the statues of the temples in the relic site. The festival is extremely rich, such as: rowing, dragon dance, lion dance, cheo singing, chau van singing, wrestling, human chess, cockfighting, to tom diem, lion dance, cooking rice on a carrying pole, sports activities, chasing ducks underwater, stick fighting, walking on monkey bridges, tug of war... The festival represents the agricultural beliefs, the desire for protection by the natural gods and the desire to control the power of nature of the indigenous people. In 2017, Lảnh Giang Temple Festival was included in the list of National Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The festival is held on the 19th and 20th of the first lunar month, traditionally called the Ha Linh festival - or commonly known as the Ba But Pagoda Thanksgiving Festival, to commemorate Uy Minh Vuong Ly Nhat Quang - the governor of Nghe An, who had many contributions to building Nghe An homeland and expanding and protecting the borders of Dai Viet under the Ly dynasty. The Qua Son Temple Festival is organized by 7 villages (Thanh Xuan, Trac Thanh, Tap Phuc, Nhan Boi, Phuc Hau, Nhan Trung and Phuc Yen), belonging to 3 communes of Ngoc Son, Lam Son, Boi Son, who assign each other and are responsible for each part of the work to carry out the festival. The main locations are the opening ritual at Qua Son Temple (Tap Phuc village), the place to offer incense and thank Ba But at Ba But Pagoda (Trac Thanh village) and the Lam River section from Qua Son Temple upstream to Ba But Pagoda. The rituals include: "Khai quang, tẩy uế" ceremony, "Yết cáo" ceremony, "Chinh te" ceremony (is the ritual to worship Than Uy Minh Vuong Ly Nhat Quang, also known as "Xuất Thần" ritual, the statue of Ly Nhat Quang is carried out on a palanquin to be carried to Ba But pagoda for a thanksgiving ritual). The unique feature of the Qua Son temple festival is the procession in the early morning of the 20th with two army and navy wings. The army wing consists of the "main army" team and the "civilian army" team, carrying the palanquin from the temple to Ba But pagoda. The navy army holds a navy review ceremony. The two processions gather at Ba But pagoda, the Saint's palanquin is placed in the middle to offer incense, perform the ancient ritual /thanksgiving ritual. After the rituals, the two army and navy wings hold a review ceremony to carry him back to Qua Son temple in the order of the procession. At Qua Son temple, the people hold a ritual to enthrone him. In addition to the rituals, the Qua Son Temple Festival also has folk games such as: swinging, cockfighting, chess, traditional wrestling, pot smashing, tug of war..., sports activities that attract the participation of the people. The Qua Son Temple Festival aims to recreate the heroic history of the nation, express gratitude to ancestors, contribute to connecting the community and the martial spirit of the people of Nghe An. With its typical value, the Qua Son Temple Festival was included in the List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2018.

Trần Temple Festival is a "two-term spring-autumn" festival to commemorate ancestors, 14 Trần Dynasty kings and Hưng Đạo King - Trần Quốc Tuấn. In spring, the Trần Temple seal opening ceremony takes place solemnly on the night of January 14 and 15 with 3 rituals: thurify, the procession of seal palanquin and seal opening at the Trần Dynasty's Tiên Temple (Thiên Trường palace). In the past, in the years of the Rat, Horse, Cat, and Rooster, on the full moon day of the first month, Thượng Temple held a Seal Opening ceremony with the participation of seven villages: Vọc, Lốc, Hậu Bồi, Bảo Lộc, Kênh, Bái, Tức Mặc. In front of the temple yard flutters a large flag, in the middle embroidered with the words "East" and "A" combined. The procession from surrounding communal houses and temples to offer incense and sacrifices at Thượng temple. During the opening ceremony, the door of Thiên Trường temple is closed to ensure solemnity. From 11:55 p.m. onwards, the temple will open for people to continue the New Year's ceremony. After the main ceremony, the temple will be opened to people and visitors at the first ceremony of the year. From 5 a.m. on January 15, the organizing committee will hold a seal-disclosing ceremony for people and tourists from all over. In the fall, the Trần Temple festival is held from Full Moon to August 20 with the mindset of "August is the father's death anniversary, March is the mother's death anniversary". The festival is solemnly celebrated, with processions from surrounding communal houses and temples to offer incense and sacrifices at the Thuong temple to worship the 14 Tran kings. The incense offering ceremony had 14 virgin girls carrying 14 flower trays entering the temple with music to offer to 14 kings. The festival has many rich and interesting forms of cultural activities such as cockfighting, five-generation martial arts performance, wrestling, lion dancing, playing card games, praying for overseas Vietnamese, singing adoration, and dancing card games.