Pebaek was one of the important ritual procedures of a traditional wedding ceremony. The ritual was performed at the groom’s house after the bride finished the wedding ceremony at her house. Pebaek was to introduce herself properly to her new in-laws and, her rst greetings were to the inlaw parents and relatives.

Building a canoe for the palolo rise, an event that occurs twice in a year, is rarely described and documented in moving and still images. With accompanying text capturing knowledge shared by a Master Craftsman, Lesā Motusaga of Sa‘anapu village in Samoa, this paper provides insights into the Intangible Cultural Heritage associated with the building of a paopao, dugout canoe, for a rich fishing tradition. \nPalolo, a delicacy that rises pre-dawn from coral beds seven days after the full moon in October and November, is known as the caviar of the Pacific, an apt description given the high price people are willing to \npay for this rare seafood. Briefly, it is a seafood with significant socio-cultural value now enjoying high, if not inflated, economic value. \n\nThe natural environment is not a typical classroom but is, insofar as Intangible Cultural Heritage is concerned, an important setting where knowledge is transmitted, particularly knowledge of the environment and tapu or sa, the sacred laws or forbidden acts designed for its protection and conservation.

Kazakh ceramic art is as old as Kazakh history itself. Excavation sites of early and medieval nomadic cultures include many pottery traditions that mark historical milestones of the Great Steppe. The most ancient forms of ceramics found in the region correspond to similar pieces found all over the world. Researchers believe that the first pottery traditions were introduced during the Indo-Iranian (Aryan) era of nomadic cattlemen, which is associated with the Andronovo culture of the fifteenth to eighth centuries BCE. In medieval times, the increased demand for ceramics was linked to thriving medieval Silk Road townships. Though there are similarities with many other Eurasian schools of ceramic art, each area presents its own unique pieces that carry distinctive characteristics.

Co-orgarnized by ICHCAP and Hue Monuments Conservation Centre (HMCC), this year’s Asia-Pacific ICH NGO Conference was held in Hue, Vietnam under the theme of ICH NGOs towards Sustainable Development of Communities.

This paper intends to describe the role and function of Shaman in Myanmar society. The background history of Shaman, the role and function of Shaman, Natkadaw in Myanmar society, and the current situations of Shaman living in Yangon, are elicited. Especially, what are the essential or key factors to become a Shaman in Myanmar, why Myanmar people believe in Nats (spirits), how they offer to the Nats, when they offer to the Nats, what are necessary, who is essential for this ritual or ceremony and how the Shaman maintains and transmits his or her super power from generation to generation are discussed. Descriptive or exploratory and oral history methods are used as the research designs. Secondary analysis, key informant interview are conducted for data collection. As the result outcomes, why Shaman is important to safeguard as Myanmar intangible cultural heritage, why and how the government safeguard the Shaman officially are explored.

Trần Thương Temple Festival in Nhân Đạo Commune, Lý Nhân District, Hà Nam Province\nTrần Thương temple - one of the three largest and holiest temples in the Red River delta is dedicated to worship Trần Quốc Tuấn or Trần Hưng Đạo, a supreme commander of Viet Nam during the Trần dynasty and his army to defeat the Mongolian – Yuan invaders in the 13th century.\n

The eco-cultural practices in Fiji demonstrate the wisdom and knowledge in understanding the relationships between ecological change, cultural practices and livelihood that contribute to the sustainability of traditional food systems. \n\nIn Fiji, this is based on the traditional lunar calendar (vula vakaviti) and its value systems. This traditional lunar calendar is associated with ecological changes of the food systems and how they are regulated accordingly. Hence, it is used as a guide to determine and manage monthly foods across the entire food system with associated activities. This is identified through observed ecological changes in the food system of the various agricultural and marine foods species. \n\nThe traditional lunar calendar identifies specific foods or plants and related activities respectively in an annual lunar cycle. This helps rotate the use of various food resources all year around, which reduces the over-use and over-harvest of one resource and allows for the recuperation and recovery of resources in a given environment. Similarly, the declaration of tabu (no take) for a temporary closure of a section of a land or community’s fishing ground for a certain period, the use of traditional farming and fishing methods, such as vucivuci and yavirau, as well as the barter system between the coastal and highland people are also ecocultural value systems that act as adaptation techniques. These systems help preserve the recovery of the environment to allow increase in breeding and growth of the various species of food resources, enhancing the culture of exchange and sharing of goods that strengthens kinship relationships. \n\nWhile the traditional lunar calendar and its value systems are useful, the impact of climate change and the apparent loss in the value systems have limited their usefulness and applications, which warrants further investigations and research.

Co-orgarnized by ICHCAP and Hue Monuments Conservation Centre (HMCC), this year’s Asia-Pacific ICH NGO Conference was held in Hue, Vietnam under the theme of ICH NGOs towards Sustainable Development of Communities.

Human has made great progress beyond the speed of biological evolution by using tools. First, human used stones and wood as tools for hunting and gathering, and then invented earth-baked earthenware such as bowls for food, appropriate to farming life. The defects of woodenware and earthenware, however, were obvious. It was not able to contain liquid due to their moisture absorbency, and easily damaged. Earthenware has evolved into glazed ceramic but it required a high-tech kiln with high temperature, accompanied by a technology for metal refining as a key prerequisite. In East Asia, moisture proof and insect proof techniques to coat objects were invented much earlier. That is lacquer technique.\nProduction process of lacquer is delicate and complicated such as handling lacquer sap at the risk of skin disease, creating hot and humid environment for hardening process, etc. Nevertheless, in East Asia, people have used lacquer technique in many regions from the Neolithic Age, knowing its merits earlier on. Lacquer was used for adhesive and surface protection of leather, earthenware, ceramics and metalware. In particular, it has been inextricably linked to wooden objects. Whereas in West Asia and Europe various varnishes mixed with dry oil and resin has been used, in East Asia lacquer was used as a basic varnish in common. That shows that lacquer is great material and technique to represent the commonality of Asian culture.1) This article aims to briefly look into the origin of lacquer technique in Northeast Asia and share the information on it and its current status of transmission.

Intangible cultural heritage (ICH) provides a continuous link between the past, present and future. Every country flourishes with distinct ICH elements which needed to be safeguarded and transmitted from one generation to another. Weaving is one of the ICH elements that has thrived and intertwined knowledge systems, creativities, customs and belief systems of different cultures around the world. Communities identify their cultures through their traditional costumes which were handwoven using ancient weaving techniques.

The harp is one of the earliest musical instruments of the world. World musicologists believe that the Harp was a musical instrument used by ancient man who hunted with bows and arrows. Harps now being used by people of the contemporary world fall into two types the bow shaped type and the trangle shape type. Of the two the bow shaped harps are said to be the earlier type.\nIn Myanmar, ancient chronicles say that harps were being played as early as in the Pyu Period. In February of 802 A.D. Sri Khettra despatched a Pyumusic and dance ensemble to Chan-ann the city of the Tang Dynasity of China. Tang Dynasty chronicles say that the Pyumusicians had with them two harps with pheasant’s head shapes, two harps with corcodile’s head shapes, one flat harp in the shape of a dragon’s head, one flat harp in the shape of rain clouds, two flat harps of big gourds, one flat gourd-harp with a single string and one small flat gourd-harp. \nAmong rock relief sculptures found on the walls of the Ananda pagoda built by king Kyansittha in A.D 1084- 1113 is a harp which indicates that the harp was in general use in those days. \nSome historical researchers say that Myanmar harp began with 7 strings and is used 13 strings until the down of Konbaung period. And then the harpist U Nyein added one more string in the late of Konbaung period and the harpist U Ba Than added two more strings in the year of 1960s. So Myanmar harp has played with16 strings from that time to now. \nMyanmar harp strings are strung and fastened to the arm of the harp by means of fastening cords or by means of pegs pushed through the arm it is called Let yone. In the old days, fastening cords were tied to the arm in a special kind of knot to prevent the cords slowly slipping down. The present way of making such a knot is of a reef-knot method. \nThe strings of the harp are raw silk twisted to different thicknesses. They are tuned not with pegs but by adjusting the tautness of the strings through loosening or tightening the tassels round the neck. \nThe part where the neck joins the sound box is shaped like a leaf of the saga: (champac) while the stern is shaped like bowl. The tip of the nek is shaped like the leaf of the banyan tree. The neck is made of sha: (acaciacatechu) wood. The sound box is covered with a membrane of deer skin. \nHoles are perforated along the ridge to hold the ends of the strings. The intervals between the holes need to be of correct proportion, otherwise, the harp tends to be out of tune and also lacks proper form. \nHence, the ridge is a critical component of the harp. Today Myanmar harp is being used not merely as musical instruments they are also being used as artifacts to decorate the top room of dwellings. This is being done by way of honouring a musical instrument that has played an important role in development of Myanmar Culture. More sophisticated musical gaegets may emerge time passes, but the harp will ever remain as a heritage of Myanmar musical traditions.