Mongols have practiced pastoral nomadism for centuries within the vast steppe that stretches throughout Central Asia, which has led to the creation of a nomadic civilization, a distinct civilization accepted worldwide. Within the context of this residing landscape, the main features of spirituality, and oral and intangible cultures practiced by Mongols have been crafted and determined.

"Before starting this project, it was necessary to agree upon some definitions and concepts. Without understanding these concepts, it might have become difficult to create a suitable structure for the fieldwork. With this in mind, at the beginning of the project, which is based on a theoretical framework, we discussed the concept of agriculture.\n\n“To what we call culture in pre-established way is nothing but agriculture,” says Dr. Saheb Khandare in his 2012 book Krushi Sanskruti (Indian Agriculture), written in the Marathi language. Elaborating on this statement, he says, “in prehistoric times the word ‘clan’ was derived from kus. Kus means tilling, in the "

Modern state cultural institutions can lend support to safeguarding its national ICH by injecting financial, administrative, and logistical support. However, the fact remains that for ICH to express itself as a ‘living heritage’ it needs active involvement from the community or communities that bear it and practice it to provide a platform for its ongoing dynamic and special historically rooted organic qualities to transcend through generations within the broad context of the changing society in which it is located.

“ICH and Gender” introduces the mutual relationship between gender norms and ICH and emphasizes that understanding the intimacy between ICH and gender is important for effective ICH safeguarding and gender equality.

Abstract: Shared between China and Mongolia, the element of “Urtiin duu, the traditional folk long song” constitutes the first exemplar of multinational nomination and joint safeguarding effort in the East Asian subregion, from which we can draw certain experiences and lessons both for international cooperation, and domestic policy-making in the safeguarding of shared living heritage, thereby providing further understanding and contributing to the implementation of the 2003 Convention and the 2030 Agenda from perspectives of East Asia. The present paper extends from briefing the bilateral candidature file to its joint 10-year safeguarding actions (2005-2015), covering discussions on post-inscription actions, problematic issues, and possible solutions. \n\nIn November 2005, “Urtiin duu, the traditional folk long song” (hereinafter referred to as “Urtiin duu,”) which connects the man with nature and the universe, was proclaimed by UNESCO as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity through a joint file by China and Mongolia. In November 2008, Urtiin duu was incorporated in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Humanity (UNESCO, 2008). As the very first case in multinational nomination to the Lists of the 2003 Convention32 from Asia-Pacific region, China-Mongolia cooperation in the early stages of the Convention, paved the way to the safeguarding of shared living heritage and resultedin enriched experience with lessons, extending a meaningful case for reflecting issues in promoting cooperation in East Asian sub-region and beyond.

Since ancient times, Mongolians have been producing and consuming more than 3,000 types of foods and beverages. Mongolian culinary tradition can be classified into the following three categories:\n\nTsagaan idee ‘White food’ or Dairy products\nUlaan idee ‘Red food’ or Meat products\nNogoon idee ‘Green food’ or Vegetable products\n\nAmong these three, Mongols primarily consumed diverse forms of dairy and meat products more than the vegetable foods. This is relative to the living condition and ancient transhumant lifestyle of the Mongols.

List of ICH Festivals applied for the Silk Roads Living Heritage Network Membership

The traditional martial art concerned here is divided into two currents belonging to the same founding lineage: 心意拳 (lit. Intention Fist boxing) and xingyiquan形意拳(lit. Form and Intention Fist). It saw significant development in northern China, especially in Shanxi Province, during the middle of the 18th century, and in Hebei Province at the beginning of the 19th century. Today, both styles are practiced well beyond China and are presented in various traditional or sporting forms. The traditional practice is composed of ritual initiations, alchemical, curative, and psychophysics exercises closely linked to the ancient Chinese concepts of cosmological thought and folk religions. The combat techniques (bare hands and traditional weapons) embody popular warlike traditions hypothetically attributed to the handling of a military spear dating back to the 12th century in Henan Province.\nWhat is historically certain, however, is that this art was deeply influenced by the merchant culture of Shanxi Province from the 19th to the beginning of the 20th century (Liu and Qiao, 2014). Thanks to migratory movement along ancient Eurasian trade routes in late imperial China, it has progressively become an inherent part of the local knowledge of trade caravan organizations called 鏢局. The mutual influences between martial art and merchant culture have brought about the emergence of new social category, 鏢师. They shaped local knowledge that comes in a variety of forms and contextual applications: communicative competence and jargon for cooperation (Chircop-Reyes, forthcoming), trade and veterinary sciences, handcrafts, visual capacity, hearing ability, olfactory sensitivity, and defensive skills.

The horse, a special animal that, ever since the beginning of civilization, has been tamed by humans. The creature has accompanied humans, from carrying loads to partaking in ceremonies. There’s not much information available on how exactly this animal was tamed, but historical evidence such as paintings discovered on the walls of caves and the pottery found in the very first human’s accommodations confirms that it was domesticated first by the Aryans and brought to the plateau of Persia. A place in which this creature has gone through many ups and downs, taken from carrying stuff for humans to becoming a playmate for him in such an ancient game like polo (chogan) with a significant role. And the presence of Turkmen horses, which are considered one of the best breeds in the world, has not been ineffective in advancing these events.\n\nHorse Background\nThe connection between humans and horses dates back to the Neolithic Era, and ever since men tamed horses, the essence of the value of these creatures has penetrated into the beliefs of the ancient people of Persia. Horses included in such a place that they would be sacrificed to the gods of ancient Persia and India. This value could be seen in the Zoroastrian’s book of Avesta, the epics, mythos, and legends in Shahnameh, and the poetry book of Ferdowsi, the great Persian poet. Names mentioned in the book of Avesta generally mean “the owner of the horse.” Horses were so sacred that they were said to carry the chariots of the gods of ancient Persia and India.\n\nHorseback Riding\nWith the technology in the hands of the ancient people, many things would not have been possible without the presence of animals such as horses, cows, or camels. In the meantime, on the one hand, because of horses’ value, and on the other hand, for its agility, strength, high speed, and loyalty, the horse could be a human helper. As history says: The Parthians did not separate their bows and horses only in their dreams, and among the Achaemenids, the horse has been their friend and helper since childhood. As the historical evidence confirms, the first Persian people to have an army on horseback were the Achaemenids, who were called Arteshtaran, the aristocrats who had been trained since childhood.\n\nIn the Parthians period, horseback riding was the favorite sport of the royal families. During the Sassanid period, they sided with the farmers and the traders. During the Samanid period, horses were sold in the bazaar of Khorasan as an intelligent animal, which its use in military units, Chaparkhaneh (in terms of posting offices), and carriages increased significantly.\n\nUsage of Horses\nIn ancient Persia, due to the power and speed of these animals, they could be used in many places to send messages and letters, they were used as Chapar’s horses who would only take messages and bring back the response. On the battlefield, they accompanied the cavalry and were used at banquets and military ceremonies. With all that, one question is left to answer:\n\nWhy was the role of horses in playing chogan as necessary as humans were?\n\nChogan (polo), as an aristocratic game played in the Safavid court, was a way for the Safavid kings to communicate with the people. The sport was popular among the people, and people used every opportunity to hold this game. To answer the question of why the horse’s role in chogan is as prominent as the role of man, it can be said that it is due to the picture of this animal captured in the minds of people and kings for centuries.\n\nThe superiority of the Turkmen horse breeding, on the one hand, and on the other hand, its role in the religious beliefs, and the powerful reality of this animal in traveling distances, and accepting the fact that it has been with man throughout history, could be a reason for humans, to share it in wars and travels, and now to share it in entertainment and joy so that he could once again meet his need for a sense of constant companionship.\n\nPhoto : Chogan in painting

Kutch is the largest district located in the western state of Gujarat, India. It is home to several distinct traditional crafts, communities, and indigenous knowledge systems. It is often known as the melting point of numerous diverse cultures, heritage, and rich traditions.\n\nOne of the most unique pastoral communities found in Kutch is the Fakirani Jats. It is one of the four subgroups of the Jat community found across the region’s grasslands. The other three communities are the Hajiyani Jats, Daneta Jats, and Garasiya Jats. The pastoral communities including Fakirani Jats are commonly referred to as Maldharis (maal refers to cattle and dharis who keep these animals). The Fakirani Jats are a pastoral community by occupation, and they move throughout the year with herds of camels and buffaloes as part of their nomadic lifestyle. However, they are gradually establishing their roots in and around Lakhpat, the last civilian point of Kutch, bordering Pakistan.\n\nThe Fakirani Jats are a camel-breeding community and share a special relationship with camels. The camels are an indigenous breed known as kharai that are found only in Gujarat and 40 percent of them are in Kutch. The kharai camels are a unique breed that feeds on the mangrove forests and swim across the ocean for hours. The men of the community can be seen accompanying the kharai camels to the mangrove forests in the Gulf of Kutch and travel with them for around eight to nine months in a year. The camels feed on a typical vegetation grown in the mangroves called cheriya in the local language. The mangroves play an important role in preserving the ecosystem and are the main source of livelihood for many camel breeders of Kutch.\n\nThe community’s survival largely depends on its camels and buffaloes. The Fakirani Jats worship camels and never believed in the commercialization of camel products. They have traditionally depended on buffalo milk only as the means for sustenance however with changes in their lifestyle, many have also started selling camel milk for their livelihood.\n\nToday, the community faces numerous challenges at every level. The increasing industrialization along the coast has affected the mangroves and the grazing routes. This has impacted the lives of the camels and the Fakkirani Jats. In addition, the decreasing number of camels in Kutch is another issue. According to an article, the number of kharai camels has dwindled from 2,200 camels in 2013 to 1,800 in 2018.1. All these are causes of concern for a huge number of communities dependent on the kharai camels. However, a ray of hope has come from several organizations supporting their communities with livelihood opportunities by creating and strengthening unique initiatives to prioritize the needs of the community and keeping alive the existence of an integrated human culture ecosystem in Kutch.\n\nThe author would like to thank the Fakirani Jat community along with Mustak Mustafa for the valuable information provided by them.\n\nPhoto 1~5 : Fakrirani Jats © Rauf Mutva

In the traditional food system of the Kyrgyz, among the products available to the general population were milk and dairy products. Dairy food among the Kyrgyz was very diverse, similar to that of the peoples of wider Central Asia, Altai, and South Siberia. The Kyrgyz used sheep, cow, and mare’s milk, and to a lesser extent that of goats and camels. The people of the inner Tien Shan, Alai, and Pamir mountainous areas also used yak milk, notable for its high fat content. The Kyrgyz made limited use of whole milk—it was given to children, and indeed is still given to children, mixed with various types of cottage cheese, sometimes for medicinal and nutritional purposes.