The main contents of this publication are reports from thirty-two nations collected by ICHCAP from 2009 to 2015 as part of its annual projects to collect information on intangible cultural heritage safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific region. We have also compiled information from other reports and conference materials collected by ICHCAP to present key data, such as national inventories and information on related organizations, in an easily accessible format.

Gijisi tug‐of‐war is one among many traditional Korean tug‐of‐war games. \nPlaying Gijisi tug‐of‐war forms a temporary community as well as a trans-mission community. In exploring the formed community, this article will discuss how the communities are formed, the features they have, and the meaning such temporary communities have. In addition, this article will examine how continuous and conventional communities enable the Gijisi tug‐of‐war event to take place. While doing so, different features of the tug‐of‐war communities will be discussed by comparing the characteristics of the Gijisi tug‐of‐war community with the Jul Nanjang, a special market held for the tug-of-war. Although different and both have changed, the characteristics of contemporary traditional transmission commu-nity will be clarified. Such comparative research might give Gijisi tug‐of‐war to find its unique position among traditional tug‐of‐war games.\nBased on the name, Gijisi tug‐of‐war, one may assume that the people who create such a spectacular would be residents in Gijisi‐ri or even residents of Dangjin, which includes Gijisi‐ri. However, participation in the tug‐of‐war is not restricted and is open to visitors from the whole country as well as foreigners. As such, a community for playing tug‐of‐war is temporarily formed. In other words, it is a temporary com-munity that is formed in a specific time and space.

With the accelerated urbanization and the rise of modern popular culture in China in 1990s, and against the macro-environment of technical rationality, traditional arts lost their holding in many fields. Among these arts, Fujian puppetry, which has an uninterrupted thousand-year history, encountered a difficult situation related to transmission. There was simply not enough interest and the number of practitioners began to wane. To face these difficulties, the representative inheritors of Fujian puppetry–the principals and artists of the Quanzhou Puppetry Troupe, Jinjiang Hand Puppetry Troupe, and Zhangzhou Puppetry Troupe–have been searching for support from all possible channels and calling for attention to and promotion of puppetry. Among these proponents is the director of Quanzhou Puppetry Troupe, Mr. Wang Jingxian, who started to popularize puppetry while in his early twenties and continues to do so today as he approaches sixty. The success of their efforts to reignite interest in Fujian puppetry can be measured by the increase value that local governments and communities have been placing on puppetry and can also be reflected in the Quanzhou Puppetry Troupe relocating to a new venue and expanding the exhibition and performing venues to accommodate its needs.

The Giáy ethnic group belongs to the Kradai (Tai – Kadai) language family and the Tày - Tai group residing mainly in Lào Cai, Hà Giang and Lai Châu provinces, in Văn Chấn, Văn Yên districts of Yên Bái province and in Bảo Lạc district of Cao Bằng province.\nThe Giáy are occasionally called as the Nhắng, Dẳng, Pâu Thìn, Cùi Chu, Xạ, especially the Giáy in Tát Ngà commune, Mèo Vạc district, Hà Giang province are identified with such names as the Giấy, Giáy Nắm, Pu Nắm.\n

La Valiha est l’instrument de musique traditionnel le plus connu de Madagascar, cette île du Sud-Ouest de l’Océan Indien. Il s’agit d’une cithare qui dans sa forme classique est tubulaire, fabriquée à partir d’un bambou d’une certaine longueur (de 46 à 92 cm voire plus). Le tube qui servira à la fabrication est appelé Volo Valiha. Les cordes, pièces essentielles pour l’instrument, sont pincées avec les doigts et lui confèrent cette sonorité si particulière. \n\nÀ Madagascar, deux catégories de Valiha sont présentes : la première est celle de type idiocorde, dont les cordes sont fabriquées à partir des fibres de l’écorce du bambou utilisé pour le tube. Celles-ci sont rattachées à ce dernier par les deux extrémités et tendues par des petits chevalets en bois, à l’exemple de la Valiha torotenany de l’Imerina ou celle des Zafimaniry. De nos jours, les cordes sont généralement métalliques (Decary, 1968, p.68). La seconde catégorie de Valiha est de type hétérocorde, avec des cordes indépendantes fixées au tube (Razafindrakoto, J., 2000, p.1). Les particularités des Valiha  tubulaires se trouvent dans le nombre de cordes, de chevalets et du matériau pour la fabrication : bambou ou raphia (Rakotomalala, M. M., 2009, pp.103-109). La Valiha sur caisse, à l’instar de la Valiha Vata des Sihanaka ou la Salegy des Mikea, appartient à la deuxième catégorie. La Valiha possède, selon la population des régions qui l’utilise et sa forme (tubulaire ou sur caisse), une riche terminologie : Marovany, Valeha, Vadiha, Manibola, Betoroky, etc. Il s’agit d’un instrument de musique qui constitue un élément du patrimoine culturel immatériel (PCI) distinctif de tout un peuple.\n.

On this beautiful day of the harvesting season in autumn, when hundreds of fruits and grains are ripening and trees in the mountains and fields are tinging maple colours, I am very delighted and filled with the feeling of great honor that our Centre of UNESCO for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia and Pacific Region (ICHCAP) is privileged to host this year International Conference on Safeguarding ICH to reflect on the creative values and productive utility of our intangible heritage that our forefathers have inherited to us.

The Koryo Saram living in Uzbekistan are descendants of Koreans who resettled from Primorsky Krai and Khabarovsk Krai in Russia to Central Asia around 1937. However, unlike the majority of Korean diaspora communities that were formed through voluntary migration, the Koryo Saram of Central Asia were forcibly resettled as a consequence of political decisions. And as a result the Koryo Saram who settled in Central Asia faced huge challenges adapting to their new geographical and sociocultural environment, and as ethnic minorities these challenges were intensified. The establishment and growth of the Korean diaspora community of Uzbekistan took place within this context.

Water is commonly perceived as the source of life, and such a perception can be found in numerous legends. All living beings depend on water. In Korea, water was considered sacred, leading to many beliefs related, including jeongsu (water purification) beliefs related to exorcism. People sanctified water to preserve clean water. Sacred water implies that water should be kept clean and not abused. Today, with the development of water supply systems, water is no longer sacred. Instead, there is a great demand for quality water, and water is increasingly commercialized. This article explores water management traditions and practices related to wells and dammed pools (reservoirs), which are some of the most important sources of water in our daily life.

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

The Andong region has many highly renowned historic and cultural sites, such as Hahoe Village, however, the major cultural attraction of the region is the Andong International Mask Dance Festival.

Afghanistan is a culturally rich and diverse country with an abundance of tangible and intangible heritage stretching back from over a millennium. The nation has suffered a lot during the long years of war and conflict and the generations of ancestors who depended on transferring their intangible cultural heritage skills and knowledge to descendants were severely affected and displaced during the years of war.\n