It's not just a story of a young man, but a story of mine and a group of friends about paper-cut.\n\nMy first memory about paper-cut in childhood is the paper-cut for window decoration and Fu (lucky) character paper-cut. I was born in an artistic family, where grandma and grandpa are the inheritors of a national intangible cultural heritage. Thus, from childhood I yearned for art and beauty very much. When five years old, I began to follow my grandma, held a pair of scissors and hollowed out a picture on a piece of red paper. In the end, a lovely rabbit stood vividly as revealed on the paper. Even though my action was clumsy and the work was not exquisite, my grandmother was very pleased with my love for traditional art. After years of exercise, I gradually learned to cut cornflower, shoe flower, regiment flower, and other complex patterns of works. Every Chinese New Year, my family sits together, singing operas, writing calligraphy, and creating many festive paper-cuts as New Year gifts to relatives and friends. When my paper-cut is praised and loved by them, it deepens my love for the traditional art of paper-cut and stimulates my enthusiasm in learning it.\n\nWith gradual growth, I realized that paper-cut as intangible cultural heritage was facing the risk of loss. Fortunately, the country and even the whole world have paid more attention to the traditional culture and gave great help to the inheritors. However, as a teenager who loves traditional art, I should do something for saving it. Then I called my friends to learn making paper-cut together. Taking the principle of disseminating and inheriting paper-cut culture into consideration, my grandma set up a paper-cut class which was free of charge and available to everyone. From the scale of only a few people to dozens of people, more and more man who love paper-cut, including young people, kids and their parents, participate in this activity. We created, exercised and participated paper-cut competitions and exhibitions together. Gradually, more people came into contact with paper-cut and passed on this art.\n\nNow I have entered the university and have more free time and ways to learn and disseminate the art of paper-cut. In the summer social practice activities in 2018, I led more than ten students back to my hometown, Binzhou, Shandong Province, to conduct a systematic survey of paper-cut art. After interviewing four paper-cutting inheritors including my grandmother, the students also learned the paper-cut skills from them and created a series of paper-cut which was our school—— Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s architecture. At the same time, we also went into a kindergarten to help the pupils learn paper-cut. When I saw the eagerness for learning paper-cut in their eyes, I seemed to return to the first time I got scissors and felt excited beyond my words and was proud of my contribution to help my grandmother disseminate the art of paper-cut continuously. In order to better protect and promote the works, our practice members also made postcards of the paper-cut for the school, as creative cultural products loved by students and teachers. What’s more, this series of postcards become gifts as a microcosm of the school and even Chinese culture to exchange with universities in China and other countries.\n\nAs young people in the new era, bred in the precious cultural heritage left by the wise ancients, facing the impact of fashion culture and the risk of heritage loss, we should think about the inheritance and innovation of these cultures. My grandma once picked up a lot of fallen leaves when she was walking on the roadside, and carefully figured out their shapes and drew them as paper-cut patterns. In her eyes, there is no absolute consistency among all things in the world. Even the expression of leaf patterns on paper-cut has thousands of ways. People need to observe and think about the world carefully and then try to make these ideas become works of art. The changes between them may be the cultural power given to human beings. \n\nOut of love for ICH, in the previous summer vacation, I participated in a research project on ICH in southwest China organized by the school, whose purpose is to produce some creative products to help local people get rid of poverty. The destination is Guizhou, a gathering place of minority nationalities. I am very gratified to see that Miao children are still learning embroidery and silver ornaments with national characteristics. When interviewing the administrator of thousands of Miao stockade tourist attractions, I asked her how she viewed the inheritance of local non-heritage culture. She said that there are two ways: one is education, which means to let ICH into schools and children have more contact with such culture; the other is commercialization, on the basis of non-legacy culture to create cultural products adapting to the times. In the end, people can’t only get benefits but also better spread ethnic culture. The same is true for paper-cut. While retaining the essence of paper-cut, innovation to adapt to the times is the best inheritance, like Mr. Geng, one of the inheritors of Binzhou paper-cut, who applied the paper-cut elements to blue printed cloth which could make clothes and then sold them everywhere. Commercial operation not only brings him considerable income, but also promotes the culture of paper-cut.\n\nAs an undergraduate student, my strength is still very weak, but I hope that through my continuous learning of art, communication, and other professional knowledge, I can make great efforts to promote and innovate the ICH in my hometown. On this way, I can also meet more like-minded young partners, gathering and struggling together, continuing to carry forward this valuable traditional culture.

It's not just a story of a young man, but a story of mine and a group of friends about paper-cut.\n\nMy first memory about paper-cut in childhood is the paper-cut for window decoration and Fu (lucky) character paper-cut. I was born in an artistic family, where grandma and grandpa are the inheritors of a national intangible cultural heritage. Thus, from childhood I yearned for art and beauty very much. When five years old, I began to follow my grandma, held a pair of scissors and hollowed out a picture on a piece of red paper. In the end, a lovely rabbit stood vividly as revealed on the paper. Even though my action was clumsy and the work was not exquisite, my grandmother was very pleased with my love for traditional art. After years of exercise, I gradually learned to cut cornflower, shoe flower, regiment flower, and other complex patterns of works. Every Chinese New Year, my family sits together, singing operas, writing calligraphy, and creating many festive paper-cuts as New Year gifts to relatives and friends. When my paper-cut is praised and loved by them, it deepens my love for the traditional art of paper-cut and stimulates my enthusiasm in learning it.\n\nWith gradual growth, I realized that paper-cut as intangible cultural heritage was facing the risk of loss. Fortunately, the country and even the whole world have paid more attention to the traditional culture and gave great help to the inheritors. However, as a teenager who loves traditional art, I should do something for saving it. Then I called my friends to learn making paper-cut together. Taking the principle of disseminating and inheriting paper-cut culture into consideration, my grandma set up a paper-cut class which was free of charge and available to everyone. From the scale of only a few people to dozens of people, more and more man who love paper-cut, including young people, kids and their parents, participate in this activity. We created, exercised and participated paper-cut competitions and exhibitions together. Gradually, more people came into contact with paper-cut and passed on this art.\n\nNow I have entered the university and have more free time and ways to learn and disseminate the art of paper-cut. In the summer social practice activities in 2018, I led more than ten students back to my hometown, Binzhou, Shandong Province, to conduct a systematic survey of paper-cut art. After interviewing four paper-cutting inheritors including my grandmother, the students also learned the paper-cut skills from them and created a series of paper-cut which was our school—— Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s architecture. At the same time, we also went into a kindergarten to help the pupils learn paper-cut. When I saw the eagerness for learning paper-cut in their eyes, I seemed to return to the first time I got scissors and felt excited beyond my words and was proud of my contribution to help my grandmother disseminate the art of paper-cut continuously. In order to better protect and promote the works, our practice members also made postcards of the paper-cut for the school, as creative cultural products loved by students and teachers. What’s more, this series of postcards become gifts as a microcosm of the school and even Chinese culture to exchange with universities in China and other countries.\n\nAs young people in the new era, bred in the precious cultural heritage left by the wise ancients, facing the impact of fashion culture and the risk of heritage loss, we should think about the inheritance and innovation of these cultures. My grandma once picked up a lot of fallen leaves when she was walking on the roadside, and carefully figured out their shapes and drew them as paper-cut patterns. In her eyes, there is no absolute consistency among all things in the world. Even the expression of leaf patterns on paper-cut has thousands of ways. People need to observe and think about the world carefully and then try to make these ideas become works of art. The changes between them may be the cultural power given to human beings. \n\nOut of love for ICH, in the previous summer vacation, I participated in a research project on ICH in southwest China organized by the school, whose purpose is to produce some creative products to help local people get rid of poverty. The destination is Guizhou, a gathering place of minority nationalities. I am very gratified to see that Miao children are still learning embroidery and silver ornaments with national characteristics. When interviewing the administrator of thousands of Miao stockade tourist attractions, I asked her how she viewed the inheritance of local non-heritage culture. She said that there are two ways: one is education, which means to let ICH into schools and children have more contact with such culture; the other is commercialization, on the basis of non-legacy culture to create cultural products adapting to the times. In the end, people can’t only get benefits but also better spread ethnic culture. The same is true for paper-cut. While retaining the essence of paper-cut, innovation to adapt to the times is the best inheritance, like Mr. Geng, one of the inheritors of Binzhou paper-cut, who applied the paper-cut elements to blue printed cloth which could make clothes and then sold them everywhere. Commercial operation not only brings him considerable income, but also promotes the culture of paper-cut.\n\nAs an undergraduate student, my strength is still very weak, but I hope that through my continuous learning of art, communication, and other professional knowledge, I can make great efforts to promote and innovate the ICH in my hometown. On this way, I can also meet more like-minded young partners, gathering and struggling together, continuing to carry forward this valuable traditional culture.

It's not just a story of a young man, but a story of mine and a group of friends about paper-cut.\n\nMy first memory about paper-cut in childhood is the paper-cut for window decoration and Fu (lucky) character paper-cut. I was born in an artistic family, where grandma and grandpa are the inheritors of a national intangible cultural heritage. Thus, from childhood I yearned for art and beauty very much. When five years old, I began to follow my grandma, held a pair of scissors and hollowed out a picture on a piece of red paper. In the end, a lovely rabbit stood vividly as revealed on the paper. Even though my action was clumsy and the work was not exquisite, my grandmother was very pleased with my love for traditional art. After years of exercise, I gradually learned to cut cornflower, shoe flower, regiment flower, and other complex patterns of works. Every Chinese New Year, my family sits together, singing operas, writing calligraphy, and creating many festive paper-cuts as New Year gifts to relatives and friends. When my paper-cut is praised and loved by them, it deepens my love for the traditional art of paper-cut and stimulates my enthusiasm in learning it.\n\nWith gradual growth, I realized that paper-cut as intangible cultural heritage was facing the risk of loss. Fortunately, the country and even the whole world have paid more attention to the traditional culture and gave great help to the inheritors. However, as a teenager who loves traditional art, I should do something for saving it. Then I called my friends to learn making paper-cut together. Taking the principle of disseminating and inheriting paper-cut culture into consideration, my grandma set up a paper-cut class which was free of charge and available to everyone. From the scale of only a few people to dozens of people, more and more man who love paper-cut, including young people, kids and their parents, participate in this activity. We created, exercised and participated paper-cut competitions and exhibitions together. Gradually, more people came into contact with paper-cut and passed on this art.\n\nNow I have entered the university and have more free time and ways to learn and disseminate the art of paper-cut. In the summer social practice activities in 2018, I led more than ten students back to my hometown, Binzhou, Shandong Province, to conduct a systematic survey of paper-cut art. After interviewing four paper-cutting inheritors including my grandmother, the students also learned the paper-cut skills from them and created a series of paper-cut which was our school—— Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s architecture. At the same time, we also went into a kindergarten to help the pupils learn paper-cut. When I saw the eagerness for learning paper-cut in their eyes, I seemed to return to the first time I got scissors and felt excited beyond my words and was proud of my contribution to help my grandmother disseminate the art of paper-cut continuously. In order to better protect and promote the works, our practice members also made postcards of the paper-cut for the school, as creative cultural products loved by students and teachers. What’s more, this series of postcards become gifts as a microcosm of the school and even Chinese culture to exchange with universities in China and other countries.\n\nAs young people in the new era, bred in the precious cultural heritage left by the wise ancients, facing the impact of fashion culture and the risk of heritage loss, we should think about the inheritance and innovation of these cultures. My grandma once picked up a lot of fallen leaves when she was walking on the roadside, and carefully figured out their shapes and drew them as paper-cut patterns. In her eyes, there is no absolute consistency among all things in the world. Even the expression of leaf patterns on paper-cut has thousands of ways. People need to observe and think about the world carefully and then try to make these ideas become works of art. The changes between them may be the cultural power given to human beings. \n\nOut of love for ICH, in the previous summer vacation, I participated in a research project on ICH in southwest China organized by the school, whose purpose is to produce some creative products to help local people get rid of poverty. The destination is Guizhou, a gathering place of minority nationalities. I am very gratified to see that Miao children are still learning embroidery and silver ornaments with national characteristics. When interviewing the administrator of thousands of Miao stockade tourist attractions, I asked her how she viewed the inheritance of local non-heritage culture. She said that there are two ways: one is education, which means to let ICH into schools and children have more contact with such culture; the other is commercialization, on the basis of non-legacy culture to create cultural products adapting to the times. In the end, people can’t only get benefits but also better spread ethnic culture. The same is true for paper-cut. While retaining the essence of paper-cut, innovation to adapt to the times is the best inheritance, like Mr. Geng, one of the inheritors of Binzhou paper-cut, who applied the paper-cut elements to blue printed cloth which could make clothes and then sold them everywhere. Commercial operation not only brings him considerable income, but also promotes the culture of paper-cut.\n\nAs an undergraduate student, my strength is still very weak, but I hope that through my continuous learning of art, communication, and other professional knowledge, I can make great efforts to promote and innovate the ICH in my hometown. On this way, I can also meet more like-minded young partners, gathering and struggling together, continuing to carry forward this valuable traditional culture.

It's not just a story of a young man, but a story of mine and a group of friends about paper-cut.\n\nMy first memory about paper-cut in childhood is the paper-cut for window decoration and Fu (lucky) character paper-cut. I was born in an artistic family, where grandma and grandpa are the inheritors of a national intangible cultural heritage. Thus, from childhood I yearned for art and beauty very much. When five years old, I began to follow my grandma, held a pair of scissors and hollowed out a picture on a piece of red paper. In the end, a lovely rabbit stood vividly as revealed on the paper. Even though my action was clumsy and the work was not exquisite, my grandmother was very pleased with my love for traditional art. After years of exercise, I gradually learned to cut cornflower, shoe flower, regiment flower, and other complex patterns of works. Every Chinese New Year, my family sits together, singing operas, writing calligraphy, and creating many festive paper-cuts as New Year gifts to relatives and friends. When my paper-cut is praised and loved by them, it deepens my love for the traditional art of paper-cut and stimulates my enthusiasm in learning it.\n\nWith gradual growth, I realized that paper-cut as intangible cultural heritage was facing the risk of loss. Fortunately, the country and even the whole world have paid more attention to the traditional culture and gave great help to the inheritors. However, as a teenager who loves traditional art, I should do something for saving it. Then I called my friends to learn making paper-cut together. Taking the principle of disseminating and inheriting paper-cut culture into consideration, my grandma set up a paper-cut class which was free of charge and available to everyone. From the scale of only a few people to dozens of people, more and more man who love paper-cut, including young people, kids and their parents, participate in this activity. We created, exercised and participated paper-cut competitions and exhibitions together. Gradually, more people came into contact with paper-cut and passed on this art.\n\nNow I have entered the university and have more free time and ways to learn and disseminate the art of paper-cut. In the summer social practice activities in 2018, I led more than ten students back to my hometown, Binzhou, Shandong Province, to conduct a systematic survey of paper-cut art. After interviewing four paper-cutting inheritors including my grandmother, the students also learned the paper-cut skills from them and created a series of paper-cut which was our school—— Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s architecture. At the same time, we also went into a kindergarten to help the pupils learn paper-cut. When I saw the eagerness for learning paper-cut in their eyes, I seemed to return to the first time I got scissors and felt excited beyond my words and was proud of my contribution to help my grandmother disseminate the art of paper-cut continuously. In order to better protect and promote the works, our practice members also made postcards of the paper-cut for the school, as creative cultural products loved by students and teachers. What’s more, this series of postcards become gifts as a microcosm of the school and even Chinese culture to exchange with universities in China and other countries.\n\nAs young people in the new era, bred in the precious cultural heritage left by the wise ancients, facing the impact of fashion culture and the risk of heritage loss, we should think about the inheritance and innovation of these cultures. My grandma once picked up a lot of fallen leaves when she was walking on the roadside, and carefully figured out their shapes and drew them as paper-cut patterns. In her eyes, there is no absolute consistency among all things in the world. Even the expression of leaf patterns on paper-cut has thousands of ways. People need to observe and think about the world carefully and then try to make these ideas become works of art. The changes between them may be the cultural power given to human beings. \n\nOut of love for ICH, in the previous summer vacation, I participated in a research project on ICH in southwest China organized by the school, whose purpose is to produce some creative products to help local people get rid of poverty. The destination is Guizhou, a gathering place of minority nationalities. I am very gratified to see that Miao children are still learning embroidery and silver ornaments with national characteristics. When interviewing the administrator of thousands of Miao stockade tourist attractions, I asked her how she viewed the inheritance of local non-heritage culture. She said that there are two ways: one is education, which means to let ICH into schools and children have more contact with such culture; the other is commercialization, on the basis of non-legacy culture to create cultural products adapting to the times. In the end, people can’t only get benefits but also better spread ethnic culture. The same is true for paper-cut. While retaining the essence of paper-cut, innovation to adapt to the times is the best inheritance, like Mr. Geng, one of the inheritors of Binzhou paper-cut, who applied the paper-cut elements to blue printed cloth which could make clothes and then sold them everywhere. Commercial operation not only brings him considerable income, but also promotes the culture of paper-cut.\n\nAs an undergraduate student, my strength is still very weak, but I hope that through my continuous learning of art, communication, and other professional knowledge, I can make great efforts to promote and innovate the ICH in my hometown. On this way, I can also meet more like-minded young partners, gathering and struggling together, continuing to carry forward this valuable traditional culture.

Foshan Woodblock Painting is a kind of well-known folk woodblock paintings of South China. It is mainly produced in Foshan City, Guangdong Province, Consequently it was named Foshan Woodblock Painting.\nThere has been much important research on the history of Chinese New Year pictures, but there are still different opinions on how to rescue New Year pictures from the brink of disappearance and how to fit them into the modern life. As far as Liu Zhongping can see, the revival of New Year pictures is not something that can be achieved by making one or two field visits and publishing one or two articles, but something that needs to be acted out. That is to say, it is necessary to carry out social practice that help to activate traditional culture with a focus on inheritors rather than researchers.\nIn this regard, from the “Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritors’ Training Program” to the “Revitalization Program of Chinese Traditional Crafts” to the recent “New Year Pictures Back to Spring Festival”, some explorations and attempts have been made around the inheritance and innovation of New Year pictures. From inheritor’s study and training to holding exhibitions and cross-disciplinary dialogues, from developing experience-oriented craft courses to developing new products and expanding sales channels, under the guidance of the intangible heritage protection concepts of “Seeing People, Seeing Things, Seeing Life” and “Leading by Usage” in the new era, New Year pictures practitioners, local people and all stakeholders have gradually regained confidence in the revival of New Year pictures.\nThe first step is always the hardest. On top of a good start, further progress is needed. It’s imperative to know the sticky issues and difficulties and come up with targeted, creative and feasible solutions. As a practitioner, She takes the liberty of thinking about several key points in practice, offering advice and suggestions to practitioners and decision-makers, and hoping to contribute to the revival of New Year pictures. China has entered the twenty-first century. The social scenes that endow New Year pictures with meaning year after year have vanished. It is very difficult for us to ask people to change their house gates back to the old-fashioned style, and it is also very difficult for young people to observe the traditional festival customs. However, what we can do is not only to enshrine New Year pictures in museums, but also to keep pace with the times and find a place for New Year pictures in modern life.\nThrough her effort and hardwork, she focuses on the innovation of Foshan Woodblock Painting and meets the needs young people She updates some painitngs, such as the mobil phones shell, schoolbags, notebooks as well as painitng gift packs. By the resurrection of the gods through a number of newly designed derivatives,now the paitings are popular among the local people. And she believes her master's dream as well as hers of continuing and spreading the national intangible cultural heritages have been realized

In introducing the background of building ichLinks as the Asia-Pacific ICH information sharing platform, its core values and objectives, implementation schemes, and expected effects are explained. ichLinks plans to serve as a common ground for all the participating Member States to connect with each other. ICHCAP plans to form a one-stop integrated online service platform and an expanded platform based on the participation of Member States by establishing an Executive Committee led by partner organizations from participating Member States for efficient platform operation. In addition, ICHCAP support will address differences and deficiencies resulting from different technological conditions among nations. These actions would help participating states and partner organizations voluntarily and actively using the platform and continue to create new value through multilateral information sharing, exchange, and cooperation. Information and content shared through ichLinks can be constantly recreated and reused as online and offline resources in areas, e.g. festivals, exhibitions, research, and tourism.

Historically, Margilan was the centre for making atlas and adras – vivid and fine traditional fabrics. Due to the acute need to revive and safeguard traditions at risk of disappearing, the local community came up with an initiative to launch the Crafts Development Centre (CDC) in 2007. The CDC’s goal is to safeguard, develop and promote the method of Uzbek traditional atlas and adras making through innovative training sessions, exhibitions and craft fairs, traditional textile festivals, and the publication of safeguarding materials and manuals. The CDC also promotes the use of natural materials, and supports the transmission of knowledge and skills about nature and the universe and their role in ensuring people’s health and wellbeing.

In 2017, Tajikistan ratified the 2003 Convention. Two years later, the Tajik government passed a decree and project to take place between 2013 and 2020. The goals of this project were to safeguard ICH from disappearing; reviving traditions; helping and supporting performers and masters; endorsing cultural elements accessible for wide use; studying and preparing books, films, and musical discs; and organizing folk festivals, cultural competitions, and other exhibitions. The festivals have several social and cultural functions due to their continuity. Infestivals, a person experiences his/her membership in society and feels the collective solidarity. Festivals also include didactic elements, mainly structuring the young generation in the task of responsibility among other members of the society; they should follow prescribed social and cultural norms. At the same time, festival also function on a psychological level, giving people a sense of national or ethnic identity and building social integration, solidarity, thus creating an atmosphere of friendship.

ICH Video Production in the Asia-Pacific Region : Central Asia\n\nRapid urbanization and westernization are changing the environments in which intangible cultural heritage is rooted. The importance of documentation that traces the effect of social changes on intangible cultural heritage is being emphasized as a safeguarding measure. Quality video documentation is an important resource that enables the conservation and transmission of existing intangible cultural heritage and raises its visibility.\n\nVideo documentation is the best medium to record intangible cultural heritage in the most lifelike manner, using the latest technologies. It is also an effective tool for communicating with the public. However, conditions for video production in the Asia-Pacific remain poor, requiring extensive support for quality video documentation.\n\nICHCAP has been working to build the safeguarding capabilities of Member States and raise the visibility of intangible cultural heritage in the Asia-Pacific by supporting the true-to-life documentation of intangible cultural heritage as this heritage is practiced and cooperating with experts, communities, and NGOs in related fields.\n\nSince 2010, ICHCAP has hosted annual Central Asian sub-regional network meetings with Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Mongolia to support the ICH safeguarding activities of Central Asia. Through their collaboration, ICHCAP has supported projects involving collecting ICH information, producing ICH websites, and constructing ICH video archives.\n\nAt the Sixth Central Asia Sub-regional Network Meeting in Jeonju in 2015, ICHCAP, four Central Asian countries, and Mongolia adopted a second three-year cooperation project plan on producing ICH videos to enhance the visibility of ICH in Central Asia.\n\nICHCAP developed guidelines and training programs for the project and invited video and ICH experts from the participating countries, and held a workshop in November 2015. After the workshop, focal points for the project were designated in each country, and each focal point organization formed an expert meeting and a video production team to produce ICH videos.\n\nInterim reports were submitted to ICHCAP in February 2016, and the first preview screening was held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, during the Seventh Central Asia Sub-regional Network Meeting in May 2016. Since then, each country has carried out the project according to the project plan. ICHCAP met with each country between October 2016 to February 2017 to check on the project progress.\n\nAfter the final preview screening during the Eighth Central Asia Sub-regional Network Meeting in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, in 2017, final editing process took place in each country, and fifty ICH videos were completed by October 2017.\n\nAll photos introduced on this page along with fifty ICH videos are from the exhibition 'Living Heritage: Wisdom of Life' held in the Republic of Kyrgyzstan and the Republic of Korea. Designed for introducing various ICH in the five countries, this exhibition shows photos on representative twenty elements in each country collected during the process of on-site survey and documentation for ICH Video Production Project in Central Asia by experts participated in the ICH video production project.\n\nICHCAP will continue its ICH documentation projects in the Asia-Pacific region for the next ten years by expanding the scope from Central Asia and Mongolia to Southeast Asia, Southwest Asia, and the Pacific.\n\n\nPartners\nMongolian National Commission for UNESCO • National Commission of the Kyrgyz Republic for UNESCO • National Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan for UNESCO and ISESCO • National Commission of the Republic of Uzbekistan for UNESCO • National Commission of the Republic of Tajikistan for UNESCO • Foundation for the Protection of Natural and Cultural Heritage Mongolia • National Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage under the National Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan for UNESCO and ISESCO • School of Fine Art and Technical Design named after Abylkhan Kasteyev • State Institute of Arts and Culture of Uzbekistan • Tajik film • Tajikistan Research Institute of Culture Information • Korea Educational Broadcasting System • Asia Culture Center\n\nSupporters\nUNESCO Almaty and Tashkent Cluster Offices • Cultural Heritage Administration • Panasonic Korea • Turkish Airlines

On 12 and 13 November 2020, ICHCAP and the ICH NGO Forum virtually held the 2020 ICH NGO Conference entitled “ICH and Resilience in Crisis.” The fifteen participants, including eleven selected presenters from ten countries around the world, discussed various cases and activities of each country applied under the Corona-era, and proposed solidarity for the resilience of ICH for a ‘New Normal.’\n\nSession 1: In the Vortex: COVID-19 Era, Roles of NGOs to Safeguard ICH\n\nSpecial Lecture 1: 'Resilience System Analysis' by Roberto Martinez Yllescas, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Mexico\n1. 'Uncovering the veil of immaterial cultural heritage towards and autonomous management of well-being as well as cultural and territorial preservation' by Carolina Bermúdez, Fundación Etnollano\n2. 'Holistic Development Model of Community-Based Intangible Cultural Heritage of Yuen Long District in Hong Kong of China' by Kai-kwong Choi, Life Encouraging Fund \n3. 'Indigenous Knowledge System as a vector in combating COVID-19' by Allington Ndlovu, Amagugu International Heritage Centre\n4. 'Enlivening Dyeing Tradition and ICH: The initiative of ARHI in North East of India' by Dibya Jyoti Borah, President, ARHI\n\nSession 2: Homo Ludens vs. Home Ludens: Changed Features COVID-19 Brought\n\n1. 'The Popular Reaction to COVID-19 from the Intangible Cultural Heritage among Member Cities of the ICCN' by Julio Nacher, ICCN Secretariat, Algemesi, Spain\n2. 'Innovation for Arts and Cultural Education Amid a Pandemic' by Jeff M. Poulin, Creative Generation\n3. 'Promoting Heritage Education through Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Kalasha Valleys of Pakistan' by Ghiasuddin Pir & Meeza Ubaid, THAAP\n4. 'Shifting to Online Activities: Digital Divide among the NGOs and ICH Communities in Korea' by Hanhee Hahm CICS\n\nSession 3: Consilience: Prototype vs. Archetype for Educational Source\n\nSpecial Lecture 2: 'Geographical imbalance: the challenge of getting a more balanced representation of accredited non-governmental organizations under the 2003 Convention' by Matti Hakamäki, Finnish Folk Music Institute\n1. 'Crafting a Post Covid-19 World: Building Greater Resilience in the Crafts Sector through Strengthening Ties with its Community’s Cultural System' by Joseph Lo, World Crafts Council International\n2. 'Arts and Influence: Untangling Corporate Engagement in the Cultural Sector' by Nicholas Pozek, Asian Legal Programs, Columbia University\n3. 'ICH in the South-Western Alps: Empowering Communities through Youth Education on Nature and Cultural Practices' by Alessio Re & Giulia Avanza, Santagata Foundation for the Economy of Culture\n\n

Intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is transnational in nature. It is necessary to spread the perception that ICH transcends geographical spaces and national borders, creating dynamic relations, connectedness, and continuity, which is why it is a timeless bearer of cultural diversity, the foundation of the heritage of humanity. However, as the modern structure of nation-state determines the boundaries of culture with national borders, forming the concept of “culture within the country”, subsequently led to the perception that the ownership of culture belongs to the state.\n\nThe concept of exclusive ownership of culture is often controversial in the UNESCO listing process, particularly in instances where cultural heritage and cultural domains have been shared for a long time by two or more nation-states. Such conflicts lead to excessive competition for nomination, overshadowing UNESCO’s fundamental purpose of contributing to peace and security in the world by promoting collaboration among nations, as well as the very spirit of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage that promotes international cooperation and assistance in the safeguarding of ICH as a matter of general interest to humanity.\n\nConsequently, UNESCO encourages multinational inscriptions of shared intangible cultural heritage to promote regional cooperation and international safeguarding activities, preventing conflicts among countries and coping with already existing ones. By emphasizing joint nominations of shared ICH, UNESCO revised its implementation guidelines three times to deal with conflicts between countries due to the cultural property rights. In addition, States Parties are encouraged to develop networks among relevant communities, experts, professional centres, and research institutes, particularly with regard to their ICH, to cooperate at the sub-regional and regional levels.\n\nAt the 13th Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage held in the Republic of Mauritius in November 2018, Traditional Korean Wrestling was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as the first joint designation by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Republic of Korea. This milestone in the life of the Convention demonstrates that ICH contributes to the peace-building, reconciliation, mutual understanding, and solidarity among peoples. Indeed, only when acknowledging that shared cultural values are empowering characteristics of ICH, the true perspective of the unifying agent of the cultural diversity can be achieved, and that it is the cornerstone of reaching peace among nations.\n\nCountries in the Asia Pacific region are deeply connected by a long history of interactions, exchanges, flows of people, goods, and ideas that have shaped shared values, practices, and traditions. Having a balanced view, advocating for cultural diversity, and recognizing the commonalities among individuals, communities, and countries as a strength are virtuous tenets in the present time.\n\nIn this regard, APHEN-ICH Secretariat, ICHCAP, and UNESCO Bangkok Office are inviting the APHEN-ICH member institutes and public to this seminar under the theme of Diversity and Distinctiveness: Looking into the Shared ICH in the Asia-Pacific, to re-assess that while fragile, intangible cultural heritage is an important factor in maintaining cultural diversity, connecting bounds, and enhancing international dialogue and peace.

Katta Ashula (a song performed with a plate) is specific to the Ferghana Valley of Uzbekistan. Usually, it is performed a cappella by two to five singers of the same vocal range who use a plate or tray to project their voices in different ways. In most cases, Katta Ashula is performed by singers with a high-pitched, wide-ranging voice, and these are some of the distinguishing features of the complex performance style. Katta Ashula developed from basic traditional events in history, from labour songs, and from different styles of ghazal verses. Usually, Katta Ashula is performed in big gatherings, festivities, and party celebrations.\n\nKatta Ashula songs were performed professionally and further developed by famous Khofizes such as Erkaqori Karimov, Turdiali Ergashev, Matbuva Sattorov, Jo'rakhon Sultonov, Mamurjon Uzoqov, Boltaboy Rajabov, Orif Alimakhsumov, Fattohkhon Mamadaliev, Jo' rakhon Yusupov, and Khamroqulqory To'raqulov. Today, Katta Ashula is masterfully performed by experienced singers with the highest skill, such as Khalima Nosirova, Munojot Yo'lchieva, Ismoil and Isroil Vakhobovs, and Mahmud Tojiboev.

Lapar performing arts, as an ancient folklore genre of people’s creation, has a rich history. Lapar songs are performed by famous artists during holidays, public festivities, and wedding parties as well as in a bride’s house in the evening during ‘Girls’ Evening’, ‘Girls’ Party’, and ‘Lapar Night’. Girls and boys perform Lapar songs composed of four-lined ghazals in two groups. Through Lapar songs, girls and boys express their love for each other, make decisions, and take oaths. They sing their heart’s grief with a certain melody but without any music. If both the girl and the boy who are singing Lapar fall in love with each other, they present gifts to one another. If the boys present flowers to girls, the girls present a kerchief, belt-kerchief, handkerchief, perfume, or some other gift.\n\nLapar songs are mainly composed of four-lined verses and are performed in the form of a dialogue between two parties. If they resemble o'lan songs from these features, they are distinguished by the ideas, literary references, descriptive objects, and the lifestyle that are sung in the lyrics- the level of thought is more highly developed by images. \n\nLapar songs were performed and became increasingly better known through the work of famous Lapar singers, such as Lutfikhonim Sarimsoqova, Tamarakhonim, Lizakhonim Petrosova, Gavkhar Rakhimova, Oykhon Yoqubova, Guishan Otaboyeva, To'khtakhon Nazarova, Qunduzkhon Egamberdiyeva, and others. To pay more attention to Lapar and o'lan songs, to collect them, to support the performers, and to publicise their creative work to the broader community, the Traditional Republican Festival of Lapar and O'lan performers is regularly conducted by the Republican Scientific and Methodological Center of Folk Art under the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Uzbekistan.\n\n\n\n

O`lan is a genre of people's oral creation. Mainly, it is performed by women with or without doira accompaniment. At Uzbek parties and celebrations, the O`lan is sung by a girls' team on one side and a boys' team on the other side, or it is sung by two people who take opposing sides so they can perform as though they are having a dialogue.\n\nYor-yor is a folk song performed at a wedding celebration when the bride is seen off. In ancient times, it was widespread among Uzbek, Tajik, Uygur, and Turkmen people. Yor-yor consists of two or four lines; at the end or in the middle of each line are the words 'yor-yor, aylanaman' (my beloved one, I am enchanted). Usually, yor-yor is accompanied by doira music performed by women. The high effect of yor-yor is that it simultaneously harmonises sadness with a merry melody, tone, and the mood of holiday joys. In yor-yor songs, the bride's features, wishes, cherished dreams, and congratulations to her are praised. \n\nThe Republican Scientific and Methodological Center of Folk Art under the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Uzbekistan, in cooperation with the National Commission of the Republic of Uzbekistan for UNESCO, organised an expedition to Ferghana Valley to research and classify intangible cultural heritage samples as well as to inventory and define the bearers of this heritage. The expedition team recorded samples of O'lan songs from ICH bearers and transmitters of intangible cultural heritage, including Xayrullo Mirzayev, Hanifa Mirzayeva, Inoyat Rafiqova, Makhbuba Yo'ldosheva, Baxtiyor Turg'unov, Zebikhon Abdunazarova, Ko'paysin Oqboyeva, and Qo'zikhon Siddiqova.

Alla (lullaby) is an oral form of ICH sung by one person, usually a mother who is putting her baby to sleep. Alla is important in raising a child. That alla is a unique part of Turkic culture has been stated in many sources. Alla is highly emotive in that it allows a child to perceive not only motherly affection but also her spiritual sufferings. \n\nAlla creators and performers are mothers. The content and melody of all songs are derived from the spiritual state of a mother. The Spirit of the period is reflected in the song. Today, mothers perform all, enriching the songs with new content by signing and praising love for life, a happy life, and a bright future. The Republican Scientific and Methodological Center of Folk Art under the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Uzbekistan, in cooperation with the National Commission of the Republic of Uzbekistan for UNESCO, organized an expedition to Ferghana Valley to research and classify intangible cultural heritage samples as well as to inventory and define the bearers of this heritage. The expedition team recorded samples of alla songs. Through these recordings, listeners can feel a high sense of motherly love as well as the utterance of a suffering human spirit. \n\nAlla\nI say alla my dear baby, \nListen to it. alla. \nListening to my sweet alla, \nEnjoy rest, alla. \nListen to my sweet alla, \nGo to sleep, alla, \nMay your future be prosperous. \nMy little soul, alla-yo.

Audio and Video Materials Collected from the Onsite Survey in the Ferghana Valley_2012 Uzbekistan-ICHCAP Joint Cooperation Project of Producing Digital Contents on ICH\n\nThe glorious intangible cultural heritage (ICH) of Ferghana Valley encompassing the state of Ferghana, Andijion, and Namangan in Uzbekistan includes oral traditional, performing arts, traditional rites and festive events, and traditional crafts. However, this heritage is largely unknown to the public in the nation and abroad, and it is fading out even more rapidly due to the young generation’s lack of interest.\n\nSince 2011, the four Central Asian countries, including Uzbekistan, have been implementing a three-year project, Facilitating ICH Inventory-Making by Using Online Tools for ICH Safeguarding in the Central Asian Region as a Central Asia–ICHCAP cooperative project. In the framework of the project, the countries have collected ICH information and tried to build an online system for managing the collected information.\n\nIn Uzbekistan, the Republican Scientific and Methodological Centre of Folk Art, under the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Uzbekistan, in collaboration with the National Commission of the Republic of Uzbekistan for UNESCO, implemented the three-year project. They collected information on ICH elements in the Ferghana Valley (Andijan, Namangan, and Ferghana regions), Zarafshan Oasis and Southern Uzbekistan (Jizzakh, Samarkand, Kashkadarya, and Surkhandarya regions), and the Republic of Karakalpakstan (Navoi, Bukhara, and Khoresm regions) through onsite surveys from 2012 to 2014.\n\nIn 2012 when the first onsite survey was concluded, Uzbekistan and ICHCAP selected representative materials among collected videos, audios, and photos on ICH elements and ICH bearers, and compiled the materials as a ten-CD/DVD collection. Also, booklets in English, Uzbek, and Korean were made to spread related information to a wider audience.\n\nFerghana Valley is also home to Tajikistan, Uighers, and Turkistan. In the other words, different traditions co-exist in the same place. ‘Katta Ashula’, which integrates arts, songs, music, and epics, is one Uzbek cultural heritage representing the identities of the diverse people live in the valley\n\nThe collection could preserve the disappeared and disconnected ICH and encourage increased mutual understanding and communication by spreading the information widely from the experts to the people.

ICH Courier is the quarterly magazine on ICH in the Asia-Pacific region issued by ICHCAP since 2009. Every issue has its own theme under the title of the Windows to ICH, and the theme of the Vol 18 is 'TRADITIONAL FERMENTED FOOD'.

This book explores creative and historical traditional food of the world through the articles provided by sixteen authors from different countries. Food is a critical element in human life and is intimately linked to the history and identity of individuals and communities. Traditional food and food ways of a community, region, or an ethnic group have become unique practices through close interactions reflecting the diverse features of the community, including the natural environment, society, politics, economy, and culture. Traditional food and food ways are then firmly embedded in the community while they are transmitted, adapted, and recreated across generations. As such, traditional food is an indispensable element in communal life and is the root of life. This book presents information on ICH reflected in traditional food and allows readers to explore the intangible value of traditional food through historical backgrounds and stories concerning the food.

Communities in the Asia-Pacific region greet the New Year at different times depending on region and religion. Communities celebrate a new beginning with traditional songs and dances. This volume introduces traditional performing arts to celebrate the beginning of the New Year in Japan, Nepal, Micronesia, and Myanmar.

ICHCAP hosted an international forum, ‘Unlocking the Potential of Tertiary Education for ICH Safeguarding’ on 17 July in Seoul, Republic of Korea, in cooperation with UNESCO Bangkok Office and the Korea National University of Cultural Heritage.\n\nICH education experts from twelve Asia-Pacific countries attended the forum to discuss the main subjects of ICH education in universities in the Asia-Pacific region and community-based approaches for ICH safeguarding. Participating experts shared ICH-related curricula of regional universities and discussed the roles and importance of tertiary education institutions in the safeguarding of ICH through community-based curriculums.