The Custom of “Dismantling the Kitchen” is a passed down practice by women after giving birth to look after their health and to forgo the abstinence ties during the abstention period of 40 days or 44 days. The community calls it as abstinence or ‘heat one self’ (Berdiang) period which means the said women are to rest from doing their normal household chores that may affect their health. The period too can discipline the mothers by taking nutritional food and to manage one self so that to be continually healthy. According to the Terengganu community, the Berdiang is a process to heat the mother’s body, cleanse the dirty blood, stimulate blood flow and shrink the womb. The mother who has just given birth lie down on a sleeping bed of which underneath it is placed a heated stove filled with firewood and charcoal. This heat is needed to heat up the body, shrink the womb and to dispel dirty blood. The ingredients for this ceremony are rice flour, water, lime, raw thread and woven coconut leaves that are blessed before hand by the midwife. The flour is to heal any illness that might be inside the mother’s body. All these ingredients are used to bathe the mother, the baby and all the equipment used during the abstention period like the stove, sleeping bed and wrapping cloth. The sleeping bed and stove will then be dismantled after the ceremony. The next process is the Forgoing Ceremony that is to release the official tie between the mother and the midwife. The ingredients are woven coconut leaves and raw thread. The woven coconut leaves are placed on the mother’s head and then pulled accompanied with prayers and mantras. The raw thread are wrapped around the body from the head down to the feet and then removed from the body. The end of this ceremony marks the end of the official tie between the mother and the midwife. They have been released from the abstention period and given the ‘healer’ against any threats or evil ‘wind’. This custom is believed to avoid the mother from getting body illness or illness of the nerve in future. It is also believed that it can avoid disturbances from evil elements within the surrounding during abstinence that might return to disturb both mother and baby. This ceremony is indirectly giving the mother a chance to appreciate the midwife’s service in managing both mother and baby during the abstinence period. This custom can still be practiced even if the midwife was not the one receiving the baby and the mother did not undergo the heating up process. If the newly-given birth mother who is released from hospital requests the service of the midwife during the abstention period, then indirectly there established a tie between the mother and the midwife. As such, to release this official tie then the custom of ‘dismantling the kitchen’ needs to be conducted.

Platote (small drum) is to be play three times prior to the Byaw or long drum. This Byaw ensemble is usually played in traditional religious ceremonies such as novitiation, charity feast, and alms-food offering ceremonies. The members of group repeated harmoniously to the verse recited by the drummer of Palatote. The head of drum is struck to make a sound of Pa-lotetote-tote-byone.\nIn late Konebaung Dynasty, while finance officers administered Bor Yay U (Ywangan Township), there was a circle officer U Nyo Ohn who administrated Kyaukpisuk village, two miles from Yay U township. He founded a musical troupe, locally called SiByaw troupe, comprised of oboist U Kyat Tote, oboist and drummer U Kyuke. Therefore, fair to say that "Danu Byaw is generated from U Nyo Ohn from Kyaukpisuk village". The dependences who inherited were U Hlwar and U Paw Htun from Theingone village, and then Min Paw Myine from Yaychanpyin village, Min Shwe Aye from Kyaukpisuk village, Min Lun Pe from western Theingonethaik village (Myagone village) and Min Maung Khin. The ensemble of Daun Byaw comprised of Palatote (small drum), 4 Byaw drums, 2 oboes, cymbals and siwah. The playing technique is similar to the playing style of "Makauk Byaw" from Shwebo district which is in danger of becoming defunct. \nThe proper size of wood is curved into the desirable measure and made hollow. The leather or skin is tightly stretched over the brim of this drum.\n-7 inches in length\n-2 feet 3 inches in circumference\n-8.5 inches in the diameter of head

In 1950, a man, named Paw Shwun Hla Phu, from Sa-non-bon Region, was the very first person who played this flute to express his grief over the death of his beloved wife. With the passage of time, he was able to seek solace and later he played flute in his village. It was so pleasing that he was requested by the reverend priest U Down Phaung Non to give a performance in the church on February 3, 1952, and in Galoun Tahtaung Church for the second time on March 2. On April 6, 1954, his performance was titled Wunpawng Sumpyi. When the chieftain Duwar Zawsai heard his playing, he was asked to entertain. They awarded him for his great performance. Later, Wunpawng Sumpyi flute was played together with gong and two other traditional musical instruments and Wunpawng Sumpyi orchestra was formed. \nBamboo grows in the wild in hilly region, which must expose to the sunlight, is used to make this flute. A total of six holes are perforated on this bamboo stick. The second last finger hole is seal up. It is played by blowing into mouth piece and by opening and closing of the finger holes on the flute. Western music also can be played with this flute. The flute sounds Key of C. It is played in some special events such as new year festival, campfire festivity, harvesting festival, housewarming ceremony and wedding ceremony.\n-1 feet 5 inches in length\n-1.5 inches in circumference\n-1.5 inches in distance from mouth piece to the top\n-6.5 inches in distance from mouthpiece from the first finger hole\n-2.5 inches in length from the top to the last finger hole

In the communities of Viqueque, particularly among the Tetun-Terik-speaking people, fai-akar—the production of sago flour from the akar palm—is not merely a method of food preparation; it is a cultural ceremony that blends labor, rhythm, and collective identity. At the heart of this tradition is the Tali-Bole dance, a dynamic performance woven seamlessly into the act of pounding sago, transforming a daily task into a vibrant expression of heritage.\n\nThe process of making fai-akar begins with harvesting the inner pith of the akar palm tree, which is then ground and washed to extract starch. This labor-intensive task is done in groups, mostly by women, using long wooden pestles to pound the fiber in large mortars. But what sets this practice apart is the way pounding becomes performance: the coordinated movement of the pestles rises and falls to the beat of chanting and drumming, and the Tali-Bole dance emerges from the rhythm of the work itself.\n\nDancers move in synchrony with the pounding, often stepping in and out of the work line, twirling or waving cloth, and responding to sung verses. The term tali-bole can be interpreted in various ways—some connect it to the image of “binding cords,” others to the swinging motion of the pestles themselves—but in all meanings, it emphasizes connection, unity, and the shared pulse of community labor.\n\nSongs sung during the pounding and dancing are passed down orally and are rich in metaphor and memory. One of the most well-known verses, Lakaleok, is sung toward the end of the session, signaling closure and expressing gratitude. These lyrics often tell stories of ancestors, landscapes, and social values, ensuring that cultural knowledge is preserved even in the most practical of activities.\n\nTraditionally, fai-akar and Tali-Bole were performed during rites of passage, funerals, house inaugurations, and communal feasts. Participation was seen not only as a contribution of labor but as an affirmation of cultural belonging. The rhythmic beat of the pestles and the voices of the singers created a space where work, ritual, and performance blended into one.\n\nAlthough the practice remains alive in some villages, it faces growing challenges. The availability of processed food, the decline of communal labor traditions, and the migration of youth to urban areas have all contributed to its reduced presence. Yet, in places where it continues, fai-akar and Tali-Bole are embraced as sources of pride, often featured at cultural festivals and heritage events to showcase the strength and creativity of traditional life.\n\nTo witness Tali-Bole is to see cultural memory in motion—where hands work, feet dance, and voices carry the wisdom of generations. In every stomp and song, the community reaffirms its bond with the land, its past, and one another.

▶ Play Video 4. A Sound for the Spirits The Buklog of the Subanons\nThis is a shortened version of the Travel Time episode “A Subanon Celebration,” which was first aired on Filipino television on March 21, 1996. This episode has been modified from its original format.\n\nAnimals were offered in the context of the Subanon cultural ritual.\n\nThe Subanon or Subanun people of the upstream may be found on the western Peninsula. The population core areas are in Katipunan. The known subgroups parallel the linguistic variations and micro-adaptations to social and physical environment and comprise: (1) Misamis, (2) Lapuyan, (3) Sindangan, (4) Tuboy, and (5) Salug.\n\nThe cultural and technological adaptation is upland riverine. They practice swidden cultivation on mountain slopes. The traditional settlement pattern is highly dispersed with a few residential structures on top of ridges near potable water sources. The houses are placed adjacent to cultivated fields. They favor locations near springs where water gushes out of rocks over contiguous to streams.\n\nRice is the preferred food crop, but fields are also rotated and intercropped, planted with corn, sweet potato, and cassava. Land problems and soil degradation have forced some of the people to recourse to wet rice agriculture where the topography allows. Metal craft and backstrap weaving are practiced. They have maintained trade with coastal peoples for centuries, as indicated by the presence of Asian stone and ceramic trade wares. Present-day Subanon are usually nonaggressive. There are indications that in the past, the people were required to provide a “soul companion” for an important deceased relative.\n\nUnique to the Subanon is their set of rituals, the buklog, the main feature of which is a huge dancing platform (buklogan). This structure is raised some 10 to 18 feet high and consists of a highly resilient platform supported at the corners by upright posts. A long pole is passed through the middle of the platform and extends upwards like a maypole. Below it is a short thick hollowed log that lies above a trench filled with empty jars functioning as resonating chambers. The pole rises and falls when dancers rhythmically bounce on the platform. The booming sound invites people to come and join in the ritual and festival. There is feasting, wining, and dancing lasting for days, with as many as two hundred people dancing on the buklogan continuously, day and night.\n\nThe ritual consists of a complex set of rites performed before the culminating event, usually near waterways, and which serve to propitiate spirits. The buklog is a prestige ritual that has a multitude of functions, such as celebrating well- being and a good harvest, and giving thanks to appease spirits after an illness. It may also honor personalities, welcome back homecomers, or praise a new timuay (leader). Finally, it is held to pay respects to the spirits of the dead, for the final sending of the spirit of the ancestor and the death anniversary of a grandparent.\n\nThe Subanen form a subgroup and are related to the Subanon but are concentrated in Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte.

In 1950, a man, named Paw Shwun Hla Phu, from Sa-non-bon Region, was the very first person who played this flute to express his grief over the death of his beloved wife. With the passage of time, he was able to seek solace and later he played flute in his village. It was so pleasing that he was requested by the reverend priest U Down Phaung Non to give a performance in the church on February 3, 1952, and in Galoun Tahtaung Church for the second time on March 2. On April 6, 1954, his performance was titled Wunpawng Sumpyi. When the chieftain Duwar Zawsai heard his playing, he was asked to entertain. They awarded him for his great performance. Later, Wunpawng Sumpyi flute was played together with gong and two other traditional musical instruments and Wunpawng Sumpyi orchestra was formed.\nBamboo grows in the wild in hilly region, which must expose to the sunlight, is used to make this flute. A total of six holes are perforated on this bamboo stick. The second last finger hole is seal up. It is played by blowing into mouth piece and by opening and closing of the finger holes on the flute. Western music also can be played with this flute. The flute sounds Key of C. It is played in some special events such as new year festival, campfire festivity, harvesting festival, housewarming ceremony and wedding ceremony.\n-1 feet 5 inches in length\n-1.5 inches in circumference\n-1.5 inches in distance from mouth piece to the top\n-6.5 inches in distance from mouthpiece from the first finger hole\n-2.5 inches in length from the top to the last finger hole

In 1950, a man, named Paw Shwun Hla Phu,from Sa-non-bon Region, was the very first person who played this flute to express his grief over the death of his beloved wife. With the passage of time, he was able to seek solace and later he played flute in his village. It was so pleasing that he was requested by the reverend priest U Down Phaung Non to give a performance in the church on February 3, 1952, and in Galoun Tahtaung Church for the second time on March 2. On April 6, 1954, his performance was titled Wunpawng Sumpy is. When the chieftain Duwar Zawsai heard his playing, he was asked to entertain. They awarded him for his great performance. Later, Wunpawng Sumpyi flute was played together with gong and two other traditional musical instruments and Wunpawng Sumpyi orchestra was formed.\nBamboo grows in the wild in hilly region, which must expose to the sunlight, is used to make this flute. A total of six holes are perforated on this bamboo stick. The second last finger hole is seal up. It is played by blowing into mouthpiece and by opening and closing of the finger holes on the flute. Western music also can be played with this flute. The flute sounds Key C. It is played in some special events such as new year festival, campfire festivity, harvesting festival, housewarming ceremony and wedding ceremony.\n-1 feet 5 inches in Length\n-1.5 inches in Circumference\n-1.5 inches in Distance from mouthpiece to the top\n-6.5 inches in Distance from mouthpiece from the first finger hole\n-2.5 inches in Length from the top to the last finger hole

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.

The traditional musical instruments of Myanmar were prominent throughout the nation’s history. The instruments were developed as early as the Pyu Era, Bagan Era and many were dominant features of music during the Innwa Era and Konbaung Era.\n\nWhile some of these instruments have been preserved and are used today, others have been lost to history.\nIn an attempt to preserve the traditional musical instruments of Myanmar, the Ministry of Culture displayed traditional instruments and distributed the books about the instruments during an exhibition in 1955. This research shows thirty-three kinds of instruments. Moreover, in a 2003 celebration of traditional instruments, the Ministry of Culture exhibited over two hundred traditional instruments at the national museum.\nWhile the instruments on display were representative of many regions and states, many instruments were not included.\nBecause of this lack of full representativeness, additional research through field studies is required. This project proposal addresses this need.\n\nTo create a preliminary basis towards developing a national ICH inventory of craftsmanship and performing arts of traditional musical instruments in Myanmar. To safeguard ICH related to the craftsmanship and performing arts of traditional musical instruments and to promote cultural diversity among multi- ethnic groups in Myanmar. To raise awareness of the Myanmar public on the importance of ICH. To expand networking and information sharing between Myanmar and Korea.

“Bangari Bhaka” comes from the Rukum District of the midwestern region of Nepal. The melody is played on baansuri and is accompanied by machetaa. This bhaka is distinguished by the variety of rhythms played on the maadal, which guide the dancers' feet. It is traditionally heard during winter festivals.\nInstruments: baansuri, machetaa, maadal

CD4_FOLK MELODIES OF NEPAL\n\nIt has been estimated that Nepal's repertoire of folk melodies once numbered more than sixty thousand. The country’s landscape features rivers, hills, mountains, plains, and streams, as well as an extremely rich flora and fauna, which have all inspired Nepal's folk musicians. In the past, communities were more isolated from one another due to the difficult terrain and the lack of roads and transport. Thus, every small village developed its own melodies. For example, it is said that the call of the bharedwaja bird inspired at least 128 different rhythms.

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.

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 6 is 'ICH AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS'.

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 38 is 'Funeral Ceremonies and New Beginnings.'

Oral tradition consists of diverse narratives. It is passed on by word of mouth as everyday wisdom and transmitted through the generations. After that, it becomes infused in a region’s history, philosophy, and way of life, thus forming the foundation for a community’s knowledge systems. This volume introduces traditional tales in Sri Lanka, Palau, Kyrgyzstan, and Vietnam.

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.