Laos, having existed for thousands of years, is among the most ancient nations of the world. Chinese historical documents indicate that the original settlement of the Lao nation was in the region of the Ai-Lao Mountains along the River Mekong in what is now called Sichuan County. The region where Ai-Lao tribe lived was called Kao Long. This name was later changed to Kio Long Kieng, which means the river of nine Nagas—the territory of the nine snakes who were known as the authentic and original family of the Lao nation. Therefore, due to their origins, Ai-Lao people widely admired or worshipped the Naga in many important rites and tattooed Naga symbols on their arms and body. In Luang Prabang, the people refer to the Naga in the local dialect as ngeuak, which means ‘water snake’.

Samoa is an independent nation that is homogeneous in language and ethnicity and is part of a broadly defined group of islands that make up the “many isles” of Polynesia. The vast majority of Samoans identify with some form of Christianity and there are estimated to be at least twice as many Samoans living abroad, in countries like Australia, New Zealand, and the US, as there are in Samoa.\nDespite foreign influences and globalization, the ICH of the people of Samoa remains rich and distinctive. At the foundation of the ICH of Samoa is the spoken word. It has only been in the last two centuries that Samoans have shifted from living in an oral culture to a society in which the written word has gained ascendency. The work of early missionaries to translate the Holy Bible into Samoan not only produced the scriptures in the vernacular but also created the look-to model for written Samoan that endures to this day. If the spoken word lies at the bedrock of ICH, capturing the language in a written format has helped ensure its continued use and transmission from one generation to the next, both in Samoa and throughout the Samoan diaspora.

Hue city was home to the Nguyen Dynasty as the final imperial capital of Vietnam (1802–1945). It boasts many cultural heritage elements, both tangible and intangible. Recent years have witnessed a growing urbanization, making unfavorable impacts on Hue’s ICH safeguarding and promotion.\nNo comprehensive inventory of the ICH of Hue city had previously been conducted, until a new inventory project started in late 2021. In March 2022, I visited and studied the Tuy Ly residence (Phủ), located on Nguyen Sinh Cung Street, Hue city. This is one of the most salient and complete examples of Nguyen Dynasty residences, having the typical values of buildings of that period. Originally, the Nguyen kings ordered the construction of the Tuy Ly residence so princes and princesses could live independently once they turned 18 years old. It is situated in a dry, high location and is close to the local communities, but also adjacent to the river to offer access to boats as a means of transport.

The shrinking of the Aral Sea has been named “perhaps the biggest ecological disaster of our time,” one showing that “humans can destroy the planet” (Guterres, 2017), and “one of the planet’s most shocking disasters” (Ban, 2010). The shrinking has had significant negative consequences on all aspects of life in Central Asia, including the ecosystem, public health, and the economy. I have personally witnessed the dramatic changes in the region, and the tragic consequences it has had on the local community. Thus, my awareness of this ecological disaster and the suffering of the region’s people comes not solely from news outlets, articles, books, documentaries, and other related materials, but also from my personal experience of \nvisiting the site and talking with the local people.

The ICH of Laos is vibrant despite the instability experienced by the country’s populace throughout the twentieth century. Peace returned to the country in 1976 once the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) was established on 2 December 1975. However, a large proportion of the population relocated to other countries, including many custodians and practitioners of ICH, not only those of the Lao ethnic group but also other ethnicities such as Hmong. The relocation of these masters or knowledgeable persons led to a break in the transmission of this wisdom to younger generations. Over time the restrictions mentioned above were lifted, allowing for the revival of various ICH elements. Memory served as a reservoir of knowledge for ICH traditions whose practice and transmission had ceased temporarily. The masters of some elements are no longer present in Laos to transmit the wisdom of techniques, symbolism, and use. Memory is thus crucial since this knowledge is not recorded in books, but rather is passed on via oral instruction.

Once upon a time, a beautiful young woman wandered into a jungle carrying her little baby girl in search of food. She was very tired, so she made a soft bed from the petals of flowers and laid the baby on it. Then she left to search for fruits to satisfy her immense hunger. Two great birds who had no babies of their own found the little human baby in its nest of flowers and carried it away on their backs to their own nest. Their nest was very large; many strange birds lived together there in harmony. There was a parrot, a myna, a hen, a stork, a kingfisher, and a tailorbird in their nest.

The use of plant remedies in the treatment of ailments and diseases has been practiced by indigenous peoples for generations. In Timor-Leste, there are many plants commonly used as folk medicine such as papaya (known as ai-dila in the local language. It is a small, bushy tree with a hollow trunk, large palmate leaves, and oblong smooth-skinned fruits). In traditional practice, the most popular among Timorese communities is papaya as medicine to prevent various types of diseases. Medical papaya plants are potentially valuable medicine concerns on health reasons for both indigenous and modern communities in Timor-Leste. Therefore, it is crucial to protect its natural habitat. Realizing the importance of medical plant conservation has been ongoing for ages by the indigenous communities as intangible cultural heritage. This article focuses on the importance of conserving local practices (knowledge) about the role of papaya leaves as local medicine to prevent various types of illnesses.

Lunar month festival of the Mongols or holiday celebration of the first day of “White Moon” or “White Month” symbolizes the departure of winter and welcoming the spring of the new year. This festival and its rituals and traditions are unique and naturally accorded with a specific lifestyle of Mongolian nomadic culture. Therefore, during this festival, there are no gatherings of masses on the street to participate in folk parades and street carnivals as in urban cities and villages.

According to newa, a Buddhist belief system, death is one of the ten major events in one’s lifetime. While death is the end of a life, it is also taken as a beginning of another life, a cycle that continues until the state of Nirvana is achieved. Hence, death rituals, apart from funerals and lamentations, include rituals carried out to prepare the deceased for the journey after death.

Newar culture has different lifecycle rituals, performed at different stages of life from birth to death. These rituals are complex and embedded in the socio-cultural environment. With every lifecycle ritual, a person gains certain rights, responsibilities, and maturity within the society.

Sonsorol State, one of the Republic of Palau’s sixteen states, is one of Palau’s most remote and inaccessible states. Almost five hundred kilometers south of the Palau’s main islands and a two-day boat journey away, Sonsorol is composed of three island groups (Sonsorol and Fanna, Merir, and Pulo Anna), each approximately a hundred kilometers from each other.

The first thing I learned when I began my field work in the Province of Ifugao was that my time was not my own. Time belonged to the gods and spirits that would unexpectedly appear in dreams and give omens compelling the people to seek their mumbaki (ritual specialist) for guidance.