This article contains a brief summary of the major traditional wrestling styles that have been preserved by local populations in Central Asia, namely Turkmen goresh; Tajik gushtingiri; Uzbek kurash; Kazakh kuresi, and Balban kurosh. Each of these sports are considered as traditional wrestling styles, recognized at national level, while some of them have gained popularity at international level. Promotion of such national sports provides an opportunity to share national values and highlight national identity through intangible cultural heritage (ICH).

Most countries or ethnic groups have a traditional martial art distinct in style and technique. In Myanmar, the traditional martial art is called Thaing, which is used to classify the indigenous martial systems of ancient Myanmar. Myanmar traditional martial arts have been well established for centuries and handed down through generations. The word “Thaing” in translation refers to the act of moving around in a circle, which also means “total fighting.” Thaing is not only an intangible cultural heritage of Myanmar but also a technique for self-defense, combat, and a traditional sport. More importantly, it is an art that demonstrates a strong nationalistic spirit, bravery, and holistic fitness. As a knowledge system, Thaing is protected and safeguarded by its masters.\n

First, What areas are included in East Asia? This article deals with East Asian printing technology so it is necessary to give a thought on the area where printing technoloy was developed in pre-modern times. Even though there are differences depending on the order of time, countries where printing technology has developed are China and its neighboring countries such as Korea, Japan and Vietnam. Therefore, this article aims to look into characteristics in these countries, grouping them into East Asia category.\nSecond, what is the scope of printing technology? Printing is the technology for mass copy of texts. Human civilization of copying texts has evolved from oral transmission to transcription, from transcription to printing, from printing to digital copying. It has been only thousand years since printing began to be used in human society in earnest. Social needs drove a development of new technology, and craftsmen who has assimilated its knowledge and skills created new things. In other words, intangible needs and technology produced new tangible things. Diagraming of printing technology is as follows;\nSocial needs for printing → Craftsman and Technology → Woodblock or Movable - Type → Books\nIn this article, we will examine why printing technique was needed and what its social background in each area was, focusing on woodblocks and movable-type, two representative methods of printing technology in pre modern times.\n

Taekwondo’s Martial Art and Combat Sport Battle\nHow taekwondo became a beloved global martial art and Olympic combat sport is a fascinatingly complex story. While it encompasses numerous people, we may better understand it by focusing on two of taekwondo’s organizing bodies and their international relations efforts. On one side we have the International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF), which was headed by a Republic of Korea (ROK; South Korea) army general who fought ardently for the unification of his divided homeland and wished to preserve its history and culture by propagating it via the martial art he named. Opposite the ITF is the organization now known as World Taekwondo (WT), which was responsible for much of the sport’s global popularity and for propelling it to Olympic status. These groups’ differing pedagogies and philosophies have caused practitioners to perform taekwondo distinctively depending on their affiliation, and today we can distinguish the two major styles with little difficulty. The two organizations and their leaders opposed each other for a myriad of reasons, which led to decades of bitter rivalry. Both organizations saw taekwondo as a means by which Korea could rise from the ashes of Japanese occupation and a brutal civil war to forge a new national identity (Johnson, 2018). Both sides loved taekwondo but argued and fought against each other for decades. Now considered the old guard, both have passed on taekwondo’s future to a new generation of leaders who sit on either side of the Korean border. This chapter conceptualizes the ITF–WT conflict anew within a peace studies perspective. For this multidisciplinary, qualitative study, an extensive literature review of ITF and WT styles of taekwondo, both academic and lay, was undertaken to understand the nature of the conflict. Literature for the academic field of peace studies were also reviewed, and the United States Institute of Peace’s (USIP) Cycle of Conflict (USIP, n.d.) was used to

First, allow me to express my thanks and honour for being invited to make this keynote speech. This is the second time I have come to Korea at ICHCAP’s kind invitation. My contact with colleagues from this and other countries in the AsiaPacific Region has left me feeling more an ally than a mere sympathizer of their work. We live in an era of globalization, not only of the economy, information and communication, but also of solidarity towards building a better world for ourselves and for future generations. I hope this meeting will be a landmark in our joint efforts to make our contributions to the cultural communities with which we presently work and our role as advisors to the Intergovernmental Committee more effective, in terms of our joint mission of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage. Huge geographical distances and cultural differences separate our countries, a fact that is immediately evident in the linguistic diversity present in this room. Use of the English language facilitates our communication and, in addition, we can understand each other thanks to the efficient collaboration of the interpreters, even though we are so very much aware of how much subtlety is inevitably lost in translation. My thanks, therefore, to our backstage partners.

2014 is an important year for Scotland as it hosts a year of Homecoming, the Commonwealth Games, and an historic Referendum in September, where the nation will vote on whether to become an independent Scotland breaking away from the rest of the UK. The people of Scotland have a strong sense of national identity, which has undoubtedly played a part in the journey to the referendum. What Scotland projects internationally of this national identity can, however, be overly simplistic and one dimensional, and does not reflect the true richness and diversity of cultural life that exists in Scotland today. Scotland is best known for whiskey, golf, and castles, but there is much more beyond this with a rich cultural legacy creating a vibrant living culture, be it in the island cultures of Orkney, Shetland, the Western Isles, or in the Scottish Borders. Communities have distinct cultural traditions and practices that collectively make up identities on a local, regional and national level throughout Scotland. NGOs are central to the delivery of this cultural provision, with museums being just one example of community involvement, where over half the workforce for this sector is made up of volunteers working through NGOs. Museums Galleries Scotland is working in partnership with Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland to strengthen the networking among NGOs in Scotland and as a potential mechanism for future capacity building.

Working in the field of ICH has always been an occupation of purity and trust from the original craftsperson, working humbly with their communities, material, and environment. For the Sri Lankan handloom industry to thrive, effective partnerships are required across the sector. Shifting towards cocreation using handlooms where all stakeholders enjoy recognition and economic gain, is the only way to protect and grow Sri Lanka’s handloom sector.

Among the many ethnic and linguist groups spread throughout Pakistan is the Pakhtun tribe of the Yousafzais, who live in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and across the Durand Line in Afghanistan. The Yousafzais are further divided into various khels (clans) and families. One is the Khawja Markhel in the village of Sumbatchan in the picturesque valley of Upper Swat, an idyllic place in the foothills of the Hindu Kush Range. The fiercely patriarchal society is organized under Pakhtunwali, an ancient tribal honor code; the ancient social institutions of the Hujra and Gudoor, men’s and women’s social spaces; Jirga system, a council of elders; and ashar, collective reciprocal labor.

Currently I am seventy years old and for more than fifty years I have practiced that what we call in our region, ‘the conspiracy’. I have not studied for that, and I consider that I received a gift which allows me, to relieve and heal other “humans and animals”. When I was young I had contact with healers or “bonesetters” of fire or blood, as they might be called. They were generally farmers or people very close to the nature. I was born, and I still live in Auvergne in the centre of France, and I come from a rural area.This is how I tried to practice, my only intention was to relieve patients suffering, and it worked. Initially, people came mainly for burns (to calm the fire) or to stop bleeding. They also came for zona (skin disease). I used my gift for forty years, with a few people coming to visit me each week. They came as a result of recommendations from friend and family, by word of mouth.The act of healing is done discreetly, whereby someone who has the ability, does not speak publicly about it or promote it. Other people would often say: “He’s a healer!”, and would sometimes add: “He is strong, and it indicates that he has other capacities that go beyond the role of “fire cutter”.

Capoeira , a Brazilian martial art (MA) expression, was in 2014 inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Humanity for its fundamental values and characteristics, transmitted from one generation to another (Vianna, 2016; UNESCO, 2020). The is a circle formed by capoeiristas, musicians, and the audience, in the center of which capoeira matches take place.

"While the artistic heritage of the Pacific is no doubt rich and representative of its cultures, it is more than merely something to be gazed upon and admired. Rather, Pacific art is both functional and symbolic of deeper meanings. Items as commonplace as bows and arrows, masks, and meeting halls are tangible expressions of the spirit of a culture. The themes in the final section seek to represent this spirit. In examining the Tongan kupesi traditions, for example, we see how the symbolism contained within the art, beyond its outer function, is reflective of the indirect nature of Tongan culture and somewhat akin to the practice of using heliaki in speaking. Likewise, in learning the complex process of building Palauan bai meeting houses, we can see that the structures stand not only as important functional spaces but also as carriers of cultural motifs and legends passed down over time. \nAll these themes attest to the art and technology of the Pacific societies as not only reflecting aesthetics but also serving a function. Traditional technological know-how allows the Pacific islanders to use available resources to their best advantage. Architectural designs, motifs, lashings, knots, stone walls, and pavement ensure that structures withstand the test of time while also carrying vital symbolic knowledge."

For thousands of years, Nowruz has been celebrated by the Persians. This ancient ceremony is celebrated every year on 1 Farvardin (the first month in Persian Calendar), roughly 20 April, to welcome the new year and the spring, which brings life back to Earth for a new beginning. However, preparations begin a few weeks before, and the actions and performances continue for almost two weeks.\n\nPreparing for New Spring\nNowruz preparations begin a few weeks prior to the new year, with a traditional spring cleaning called khaneh yekani. It is also customary to purchase new clothing for the family and maybe new furniture for the home as a way of welcoming the new year and spring.\n\nHaft Seen Table\nWhile preparing for Nowruz, the people create the Haft Seen Table, a special family activity that begins by spreading a special family cloth on a table and setting the table with the seven S (seen) items including:\n\nSumac: The crushed spice of berries for the sunrise and the spice of life\nSenjed: Sweet dry fruit of the lotus tree for love and affection\nSerkeh: Vinegar for patient and age\nSeeb: Apple for health and beauty\nSir: Garlic for good health\nSamanu: wheat pudding for fertility and sweetness of life\nSabzeh: sprouted wheat grass for rebirth and renewal of nature\nBesides these items, other symbolic items go on the Haft Seen Table, depending on the tradition of each family. For example, a mirror symbolizes a reflection on the past year, an orange in a bowl of water symbolizes Earth, colored eggs represent fertility, and coins for prosperity in the new year. Special flowers called Hyacinths symbolize spring, and candles radiate light and happiness. Families also put Qur’an or Shahnameh, an epic Persian story of colorful kings and princes written around 1000 CE by the great Persian poet, Ferdowsi.\n\nChahar Shanbe Suri\nIt is also a tradition to celebrate the last Wednesday of the old year, Chahar Shanbe Suri by lighting small bonfire in the streets and jump over the flame shouting “Zardie to az man, sorkhie man az to” which means “May my sickly pallor be yours and your red glow be mine” with which, the flame symbolically removes all the unpleasant and unwelcomed things of the previous year.\n\nQashoq Zani\nWhile others are jumping over the bonfire, others are busy performing Qashoq Zani, which is very much like Halloween. Children—with some of the adults—wander around the alleys making sounds by tapping a pan or pot to bring out the neighbors. The neighbors open their doors and give the children treats.\n\nFalgoosh\nA group of unmarried woman and teenagers huddled in the corners of dark alleys and stand falgoosh, listening to the conversations of passersby. The content of the first sentence of a conversation is regarded as an omen (fal) or portent for the future. This continues until there is no more wood to burn.\n\nTraditions\nIt is also a custom to make ash (a kind of soup) and serve it after the ceremony to end the Chahar Shanbe Suri program. After ending the ceremony, in a few days, all people around the country wait for the exact time of changing seasons, when the new year comes, the tahvil moment.\n\nThe Moment of Tahvil\nThe exact time of the new year is calculated by astrologists and occurs during the venereal equinox; this is tahvil. Throughout history, people have been informed when they hear “Haji Firooz” being sung. A special person crossing through their neighborhood and the singing and dancing would spread the news of Nowruz. He is dressed in a red satin outfit and has his face painted as a disguise. A few minutes left to tahvil, families and friends gather around the Haft Seen Table.\n\nTo Visit Elderly\nThe joyful moment of tahvil is delightful for people, and they want to share the good feeling with those beloved and close friends and relatives. The priority is to visit with the elderly on the new year, where they serve fruit, sweets, and nuts, and children receive small gifts or an amount of money called eidi from their grandparents. This is why children are so passionate for these visits. These visits continue depending on how busy the adults are or until the last day of the Nowruz holiday.\n\nSizdah Bedar\nOn 13 Farvardin, the last day of the Nowruz holiday, people will leave their places to spend the day in the countryside. It is called sizdah (thirteen) bedar (out) to accompany nature through the change of the seasons. They bring their sabzeh and get to tie grass and make wishes like making a wonderful spouse or wishing for money, and after that they throw it into running water.\n\nPhoto : Celebratory foods for Nowruz © Mohammad Shirkavand