According to historical data, production of paper in Samarkand started since Chinese prisoners betrayed the secret of paper making in order to save their lives, namely from the second half of the eighth century. In the ninth century it became a separate branch of city craftsmanship.nFrom the eighth until the nineteenth centuries, for more than thousand years Samarkand paper was famous in Middle Asia and Near East and in many cities of Europe. Samarkand craftsmen, who had rised their work to the artistic level in the past, have created the thinnest, smoothest and most ink resistant paper types in the world.

According to historical data, production of paper in Samarkand started since Chinese prisoners betrayed the secret of paper making in order to save their lives, namely from the second half of the eighth century. In the ninth century it became a separate branch of city craftsmanship.nFrom the eighth until the nineteenth centuries, for more than thousand years Samarkand paper was famous in Middle Asia and Near East and in many cities of Europe. Samarkand craftsmen, who had rised their work to the artistic level in the past, have created the thinnest, smoothest and most ink resistant paper types in the world.

According to historical data, production of paper in Samarkand started since Chinese prisoners betrayed the secret of paper making in order to save their lives, namely from the second half of the eighth century. In the ninth century it became a separate branch of city craftsmanship.nFrom the eighth until the nineteenth centuries, for more than thousand years Samarkand paper was famous in Middle Asia and Near East and in many cities of Europe. Samarkand craftsmen, who had rised their work to the artistic level in the past, have created the thinnest, smoothest and most ink resistant paper types in the world.

According to historical data, production of paper in Samarkand started since Chinese prisoners betrayed the secret of paper making in order to save their lives, namely from the second half of the eighth century. In the ninth century it became a separate branch of city craftsmanship.nFrom the eighth until the nineteenth centuries, for more than thousand years Samarkand paper was famous in Middle Asia and Near East and in many cities of Europe. Samarkand craftsmen, who had rised their work to the artistic level in the past, have created the thinnest, smoothest and most ink resistant paper types in the world.

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 25 is 'Pictures and Storytelling.'

"The sea has long been a part of ritualistic life across many cultures. There is a special bond between humans and the sea that we depend so much upon for our lives. Recognizing the importance of the sea and associated rituals, this volume of the ICH Courier focuses on four maritime rituals of the Asia-Pacific region. In particular, we will explore the vast differences in how communities in Vietnam, Taumako of the Solomon Islands, Korea, and China practice their sacred rituals in relation to the life-giving waters that surround them."

Together with the UNESCO National Commissions in the Central Asia, the Seventh Central Asi Sub-regional Meeting on the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage was held between 16 and 18 May at Dushanbe, Tajikistan.\n\nThe report includes papers of the thematic symposium on Sacred Cultural Spaces, Safeguarding ICH and Enhancing Identity and country reports.

The 2016 Sub-Regional Meeting for Intangible Cultural Heritage Safeguarding in Southeast Asia: Enhancing Viablity in Intangible Cultural Heritage Community, jointly organized by ICHCAP and George Town World Heritage Incorporated, was held on 18 and 19 September 2017 in George Town, Penang Malaysia.\n\nThis report is composed of twenty presentation papers delivered at the meeting by national representatives, NGOs, UNESCO Office in Bangkok, and facilitators of UNESCO Capacity Building Workshop. In addition, the outcome document of the meeting is also affixed to put it on record the adopted recommendations of the participants in moving forward together.