Traditional Craftsmanship of the Mongolian Ger and Associated Customs (Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, 2013)\nThe Mongolian ger is composed of wooden frames, canvas, and ropes. The wooden frames comprise the crown, roof poles, wall lattices, door, and two pillars; each wooden element is produced by separate, specialized carpenters. The traditional craftsmanship of the Mongol ger reflects the nomadic culture and national identity of Mongolia.

Aitys is a contest centred on improvised oral poetry spoken or sung to the accompaniment of traditional musical instruments – the Kazakh dombra. Two performers (akyns) compete with one other to improvise verses on topical themes in a battle of wits that alternates between humorous ripostes and penetrating philosophical reflections. During the competition, the performers sit opposite one another improvising a dialogue on topics chosen by the audience. The winner is the performer considered to have demonstrated the best musical skills, rhythm, originality, resourcefulness, wisdom and wit. The most meaningful and witty expressions often become popular sayings. The element is practiced on a variety of occasions, ranging from local festivities to nationwide events, where practitioners often use the contest to raise important social issues. Although it was traditionally performed only by men, many women now participate in Aitys and use the contest to express women’s aspirations and viewpoints.

The Craft X Design project is part of NHB’s efforts to promote greater awareness of intangible cultural heritage (ICH), raise the profile of local traditional craftsmanship, and increase access of local traditional craft practitioners to new markets, networks and designs. Craft X Design pairs four traditional craft practitioners with four local designers and/or studios to reimagine traditional crafts into innovative and modern products that express and embody Singapore’s rich and diverse cultural heritage.\n\nThe multi-spherical bamboo lamp is a collaboration between Jimm Wong, one of the few remaining traditional Chinese lantern makers in Singapore, and designers from NextOfKin Creatives (NOK), Melvin Ong and Xu Xiao.

A huge gap in the ecosystem is that despite the important roles the Chinese clan associations play in Singapore’s nation-building and promotion of cultural understanding, many younger generation Singaporean are not aware of their existence, much less their relevance. According to the Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations in 2017, “more than half of the clan associations are in danger of fading away, if they do not actively attract younger members”. This project addresses this important gap by creating ground-up initiatives which could spur interest amongst the public and actively engage the youth to continue the lifeline of Chinese clan associations. Moreover, the aged clan members are living treasure troves to our past. However, there hasn’t been sufficient projects that tap into their knowledge about our less-known food history, traditions, and customs. This project serves as a stepping stone to spark conversations and ignite interest in uncovering more about our rich Singaporean food heritage before they are lost in the time.\n\nHaving spent more than half her life with clan associations, Lynn Wong is passionate about uncovering and sharing the lesser-known Singaporean Chinese clan heritage with the youth. She is the project director of Ho Yeah Festival (the first-ever Cantonese and Hakka festival in Singapore), as well as the recipient of the inaugural Singapore Federation of Chinese Clan Associations (SFCCA) Outstanding Youth Award in 2017.\n\nTexts\n\nQingming Festival is a time for ancestor veneration and tomb sweeping. There is a popular saying, “Of all virtues, filial piety comes first.” Ancestor veneration is an important Chinese tradition. During Qingming Festival, descendants will make ancestral offerings to express their love and gratitude. Our Singapore Hakka forefathers from the Wui Chiu Prefecture have a must-have Qingming traditional snack – the Mugwort Kueh. Families coming together to wrap Mugwort Kueh is a more than 1000-year-old tradition of the Wui Chiu people. The mugwort leaf is said to be a miracle herb that can cure all kinds of diseases.

The Craft X Design project is part of NHB’s efforts to promote greater awareness of intangible cultural heritage (ICH), raise the profile of local traditional craftsmanship, and increase access of local traditional craft practitioners to new markets, networks and designs. Craft X Design pairs four traditional craft practitioners with four local designers and/or studios to reimagine traditional crafts into innovative and modern products that express and embody Singapore’s rich and diverse cultural heritage.\n\nAnita Tompang, a ketupat weaving practitioner, and designer Andrew Loh worked together and applied ketupat weaving techniques to weave strips of thick felt around foam, creating ketupat-shaped foam modules that can be combined to form different types of furniture.\n\n

The Craft X Design project is part of NHB’s efforts to promote greater awareness of intangible cultural heritage (ICH), raise the profile of local traditional craftsmanship, and increase access of local traditional craft practitioners to new markets, networks and designs. Craft X Design pairs four traditional craft practitioners with four local designers and/or studios to reimagine traditional crafts into innovative and modern products that express and embody Singapore’s rich and diverse cultural heritage.\n\nThe collaboration between kebaya maker Raymond Wong and designers from Aller Row, Joanna Lim and Joanne Quek led to the reinvention of the traditional Peranakan Kebaya as a modern couture gown. \n

Sau-Batar is one of Timor-Leste’s most cherished agricultural ceremonies, marking the successful harvesting of corn—batar, the staple crop that lies at the heart of both sustenance and spiritual life for many communities. Far more than an agricultural routine, this ritual reflects a worldview where nature, ancestors, and community are deeply intertwined.\n\nThe ceremony typically begins with a symbolic act called “taking out the old corn and bringing in the new.” This signifies a transition between agricultural cycles and expresses gratitude to the spirits of the land for their blessings. Families gather at their sacred houses (uma lulik), bringing both harvested corn and cooked rice to share in a ritual meal that reaffirms communal bonds.\n\nCentral to the ritual is the lia-nain—a customary elder responsible for oral tradition and ritual practice—who recites prayers, chants, and invocations handed down through generations. These words are not merely spoken; they are believed to activate ancestral protection and ensure future abundance. The corn offered during the ceremony becomes sacred, often preserved in specially designated granaries or placed on altars within the sacred house as a gesture of respect to the ancestors.\n\nMusic and dance are vital parts of Sau-Batar. Performances of Tebe Lilin (Candle Dance) and other local dances transform the occasion into a festive gathering, where movement and rhythm mirror the unity and joy of a successful harvest. The babadok drum keeps the beat as men and women, elders and children, participate in a shared expression of thanks and renewal.\n\nThe ceremony also involves the symbolic sharing of corn among relatives and neighbors, emphasizing that harvest is not an individual achievement but a collective gift. In some cases, leftover corn from the previous season is burned or ceremonially discarded to make room for the new yield, representing a fresh start and spiritual cleansing.\n\nBeyond its religious and social meanings, Sau-Batar also serves as a moment of informal education. It is during this event that younger generations hear the stories of how rituals are performed, why they matter, and what each gesture or offering means. Through active participation, children and youth absorb the knowledge of land stewardship, spiritual ethics, and cultural identity.\n\nIn recent years, as commercial farming methods expand and traditional schedules shift, Sau-Batar has faced challenges. Yet in many rural areas, the ceremony continues to be practiced with dedication, often with support from local schools and cultural preservation initiatives.\n\nFor the communities that uphold it, Sau-Batar remains a vital link between past and present, the visible and the invisible, and the land and its people. It is a ceremony not just of harvest, but of harmony—a living tradition that continues to nourish both body and spirit.

Preserving and transmitting craftsmanship for centuries, a yurt is not a mere dwelling, but also a creative workshop for folk art. Yurt embodied all kinds of decorative and applied arts. Meeting all the demands of everyday life, it carries both aesthetic and ritual functions.

This film is about rituals related to children. Included are kyrkyn chygaruu, a ritual celebrating the fortieth day after a child’s birth; beshike saluu, a ritual of placing baby in the cradle; tushoo kesuu, a ritual of cutting rope tied around a baby’s ankles; and bata, a blessing ritual. Knowledge holders talk about the significance of each ritual in a child’s life cycle. The film shows how these rituals are conducted now and how they have evolved over time.

The ICH festivals in the Kyrgyz Republic are a great way to safeguard the cultural heritage. Kyrgyzstan has a rich ICH and embraces all ICH domains including the oral traditions andexpressions, performing arts, social practices, rituals and festive event, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe, and traditional craftsmanship. Festivals feature various ICH domains such as arts and crafts, cuisine, folklore, felt, hunting with birds, horse games, etc. For instance, the festivals Kyrgyz Shyrdagy and the Oimo International Festival are held with the aim of safeguarding and popularizing traditional knowledge and skills of handicrafts, for safeguarding and promoting traditional games, various birds of prey festivals are held, such as Salbuurun and Kok Boru. Moreover, festivals are dedicated to safeguarding oral traditions, such as Aitysh, the art of improvisation as well as many other festivals reflecting traditional cuisine, folklore, etc.

This ancient theatre form created by Malaysia’s Malay communities combines acting, vocal and instrumental music, gestures and elaborate costumes. Specific to the villages of Kelantan in northwest Malaysia, where the tradition originated, Mak Yong is performed mainly as entertainment or for ritual purposes related to healing practices.

The Craft X Design project is part of NHB’s efforts to promote greater awareness of intangible cultural heritage (ICH), raise the profile of local traditional craftsmanship, and increase access of local traditional craft practitioners to new markets, networks and designs. Craft X Design pairs four traditional craft practitioners with four local designers and/or studios to reimagine traditional crafts into innovative and modern products that express and embody Singapore’s rich and diverse cultural heritage.\n\nRangoli practitioner Vijaya Mohan, and designer Jarrod Lim worked in collaboration to create three-dimensional rangoli-inspired metalware which retained the artistic integrity of rangoli and showcased this traditional craft in a unique and modern way.