“Hát bội” is a traditional performance art in Vietnam, it has a rich historical foundation, and quite an influence to the community. The stage of Hát Bội also consists of Viet aesthetic values, reflecting the life, stories, and aspirations of the Vietnamese. Hát bội characters contain a fine selection of multiple human characteristics. With those qualities - every plot, every movement, technique and performing elements are conveyed in a holistic sense. Let's learn about the details of each character type so we can fully appreciate this traditional art form. Check out ichlinks.com to learn more about Hat boi essential types of characters. \n\nCredit:\nProduced in ICHCAP - Cultura Fish (Hiếu Văn Ngư) partnership. \n\nContent development: Vuong Hoai Lam (Researcher), Luc Pham Quynh Nhi (Coordinator, editor), Ha Hoang Minh Trang (Translator)\n\nContributors : \n- Cultura Fish team: Ha Thuc Duc Tung, Nguyen Le Thanh Thao, Nguyen Le Nhat Anh, Tran Thi Minh Thuy\n- Ho Chi Minh city Theatre of Hat boi: Vu Ho Hoang Vu, Ha Tri Nhon, Linh Hien, Bao Chau, Hoang Tuan, Thanh Binh, Dong Ho, Kieu My, Anh Thi, Ngoc Giau, Thanh Trang, Hoang Ha, Huu Danh, Linh Phuoc, Nguyen Tuan, Minh Khuong, Ngo van Tong, Nguyen Van Do, Ho Tuan Dung, Le Minh Tan, Tran Thanh Hung, Nguyen Tran Thanh Tuan. \nProduction: Cao Trung Thao and Pham Anh Nguyet\nPhoto by Giang Pham

As a UNESCO category 2 center, ICHCAP organized the youth ICH storytelling contest with the aim to support ICH safeguarding activities of young practitioners. Youth practitioners play an essential role, as ICH relies on direct transmission among community members. Their activities and involvement will hopefully contribute to raising awareness of ICH worth protecting. The story below won the Grand Prize of the 2019 Asia-Pacific Youth ICH Storytelling Contest. \n\n---------------------------------\nThe Hát Bội is Vietnamese intangible traditional performing art which has taken shape, developed during Vietnam history and is still preserved. The Hát Bội is form of traditonal opera which has a 500 old year long history of development in Vietnam. It contains features close to the culture in many other countries in Asia. My name is Anh Quan, I am sophomore of The Ho Chi Minh City University of Culture in Vietnam. \n\nWhen I started in junior high school, I had opportunity to study and enjoy The Hát Bội. These images, stage, eyes, gestures of The Hát Bội are so excited. But I strongly impress by artists’ face. This emotion is always with me in my thoughts. When I have been a student. Immediately, I go to The Ho Chi Minh city Hát Bội Theater to learn more about this art. Hát Bội relies on the principles of symbolization and stylization. These principles prodoundly influence Hát Bội typical dance/ gesture and makeup by which Hát Bội in distinguished from other traditional performing arts. Being the essences of Hát Bội, gesture and dance are perfomrmed based on several rules of symbolization and stylization with the aim of sophisticatedly expressing the feeling and emotion of characters and other implications of plays. These artists of Hát Bội have to understand very well about principles of symbolization and stylization and when they makeup and. Makeup is definitely the outward essence Hát Bội indicate the specific and personality of every character. The articial materials for making-up a disguise includes as followings: Multi-colours-lipsitcks, powder in multi-colors, the balckening-wax or the ash-like-black powder, the zinc-powder in golden-red– a mixture of the deep-red and golden powder, powder in blue, in green, and in yellow. With many special kinds of professional tools, such as: Tooth sticks, fingernail like kinife flat which look like a spoon – flat and made of wood.\n\nI observe artists makeup , I dream that i can makeup like them. I want to pursue my dream of being one of characters of Hát Bội. With the help of Thanh Bình Artist, I have fulfilled my dream. I feel virtuosity, sophistication and passion of Thanh Binh Artist when he makeup for me.\nThe face painting in an original feature in Hát Bội as well as in some forms of opera in Southeast Asia .The make-up in Hát Bội ( chiefly for male personages , rarely for female ones) includes three main parts : painting the complexion, drawing lines on the face and pasting false beards. There is nothing called the realistic things to identify but absolutely living - symbols in the art of the Hát Bội with its speical ways of disguiting for whole characters at all.\n \nLooking at the face makeup, the audiences can understand wether a character is good or bad, loyal or disloyal, etc. Below are some basic colour used in Hát Bội makeupnRed: Loyal, unyielding personnWhite: artful flatterernGreen: intelligent person or person with venturesome spirit or short lifenYellow: gentle and virtuous personnBlack: Furious and vigorous personnThat is the dialectics of the art of theatrical masks attained by masterly (mask makers, makeup, artist). nThe above special things may be generally get a common concept for us all to comprehend some intersted – things in many kinds of the characters and characteristics in traditional culture and art of the Hát Bội. \n\nThe Hát Bội has any characters. Currently, plays of Hát Bội are mainly performed at the temple (or shrine). The young generation do not strongly like the traditional art include The Hát Bội. Few young people are passionate about traditional art, this situation make the training for young people quite so difficult. For make youth generation learn more about The Hát Bội. Over the past years, The Ho Chi Minh city Hát Bội Theater has organized program called “The school stage” to introduce The Hát Bội to pupils and students.\n\nThis program around the content: history of formation and development of The Hát Bội, dance, and makeup art. Besides that, performance of historical topics, excerpts about children to raise patriotism, hope students have the opportunity to learn more about The Hát Bội. I think this working is very well for young people. That thing will make me and young people will love and have positive emotion with the traditonal stage. I hope The Ho Chi Minh city Hát Bội Theater always create other program to performance for community. To get deeply understanding about Hát Bội, warmly welcome to The Ho Chi Minh city Hát Bội Theater – Vietnam. I am so happy when I have chance to get experience and share excited valid content of The Hát Bội for every body. Vietnam also has so many traditonal arts. The Hát Bội is one of them. For protecting and delivering The Hát Bội, I think the young generation have to focus on studing intangible culture of country. I aslo contribute a little working for do that. I hope other young person will do that like me. I am going to keep my passion to learn more about traditonal of Vietnam also the other coutries over the world. Vietnam - a friendly destinaton always warmly welcome all of you, we have so many stories to talk with you. When you meet me together, I am going to “play” the Hát Bội for you. Because I really become “an actor” of The Hát Bội by my heart in my dream.

“The Swan Rings: A Story of Eternal Love” is a captivating journey into Mongolia’s rich oral heritage, retelling the 500-year-old love story of Donoi the Rich and Tsagaankhuvi—a tale passed down through generations and revived today through storytelling, singing, and sand art.\n\nSet in the breathtaking landscapes of present-day Aldarkhaan soum in Zavkhan province, this story of devotion and harmony pays tribute to two legendary figures who helped sustain their community through horse herding and deep compassion. Honored and remembered as Ongods—ancestral spirits—Donoi and Tsagaankhuvi's story is a cherished legacy that continues to inspire.\n\nThis video reintroduces Mongolia’s storytelling traditions, blending folktale narration with epic singing and visual storytelling through sand drawing. At its heart are three handcrafted portraits depicting the main characters in their original attire, and a symbolic pair of silver swan rings—representing eternal love and unity.\n\nTo bring this tale to life, the creators conducted extensive research—consulting Ongods, visiting sacred sites, and collaborating with master storytellers such as N. Lantuu, B. Bayarmagnai, and G. Buuveibaatar. The team also drew inspiration from the natural beauty of Ganga Lake’s swan gatherings and the horse festivals of Agtana Khureet.\n\nNarrated by Merited Artist S. Otgon and sung by tradition bearer S. Dansran, this multimedia work features sand art by B. Sodnomdarjaa, original music by B. Erdenebat, and performances by S. Dansran and E. Enkhjin. The project was conceptualized by Agula Ulaach, revised by Agaruu UdGun, technically edited by B. Bilguun, and beautifully translated by B. Mandakhnar.\n\n“The Swan Rings” is the first in a trilogy exploring the theme “How Swans Became the Symbol of Love,” an artistic tribute to Mongolia’s timeless traditions of storytelling, love, and the spirit of community.

Baor-making is a unique skill of the Maranao people. With its embossed handmade and intricate designs – particularly called okir – this skill has claimed a recognition abroad. nOkir is folk motifs found in various artworks and objects, they are usually inspired from detailed and different curves and no machines involved.\nBaor is a maranao translation of baul or the trunk.\nAside from the famous Darangen, a singing-like epic storytelling originally from the Maranao people as well, which belong to the top three of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) inscribed intangible cultural heritage of the Philippines, baor-making skill is listed as an element among the other 366 under the inventory of Philippine Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage.\nHowever, since the 2016 Martial Law declaration in Mindanao stricter regulations are implemented on trees-cutting that are main ingredient to produce baor. Tree like the Philippine National Tree Narra.\nThe absence of professional teaching also creates significant hole for the identity of Maranao younger generations. As of the moment, the only way to transmit the skill is learning the techniques by observing elders while at home.\nThese reasons lead to saddening thought that the Tugaya’s one of a kind skill is slowly dying because youth have now better, numerous options to survive the living over the dynamic society.\nAlthough baor-making is traditionally originated in Tugaya, a small municipality in Lanao del Sur, there is a man who has been living so far from the root of baor-making: Abdulsamad Usman, 58, has been dwelling his fate on making and selling baor amidst the Taguig city’s uncertainties.\nnTaguig is one of the urban cities in Metro Manila, National Capital Region. The gap between Tugaya and Taguig is at least one-thousand kilometers.\nAccording to Usman, more or less a month period before finishing a medium-sized baor. He can carve designs and paint them. He, with his team, is the only considered baor maker who practice the skill in Metro Manila.\nUsman strongly believes that baor-making will not vanish from the present and history because the skill has been playing a huge part for the Maranaos’ culture and identity.\nn기타설명nBaor-making is a unique skill of Maranao people from Tugaya, Lanao del Sur. Baor is a maranao translation of baul or the trunk. The designs embossed in it are called okir --- detailed and different curves. They are handmade and no machines involved. Tugaya is a small community in Lanao del Sur, a province in Mindanao.\nThe skill is considered as an intangible cultural heritage (ICH) among the other 366 listed under the inventory of Philippine Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Long ago, for some Caroline Islands, Kachau referred to Kosrae and sometimes the easterly direction. This continues to be remembered as such across the contemporary Caroline Islands. Islanders on Central Caroline atolls, today, trace their ancestors to Kosrae. Kosraeans were known to have sailed to the Marshall Islands and as far west as Satawal. Navigators had a very important role and needed to know much about many aspects of life. Navigators referred to the moon as well as stars to follow their course. \n\nCanoe builders are referred to as mwet orek oak (two morphemes, orek- refers to work and oak refers to canoe). In former times, they were a class of artisans who handed down their skills within the family. Each man was his own canoe builder. In the old days of canoe building on Kosrae, asset (a type of tree that can be used as a natural caulk for patching the side of the canoe or as an adhesive) was used to plug holes and a sap from mos (breadfruit) was used as a glue to bring pieces of wood together. The sap was mixed with wood shavings from the carving of the canoe. A red soil called lap was mixed with asset to paint the canoe. While there is red soil across the island of Kosrae, the correct location for the lap used on the canoes comes from Utwe. Special working chants were common when pulling down the felled tree trunk. These. Chants continue into contemporary Kosrae especially in times for hard work. At the end of the construction of a canoe, there is a special feast that occurs for the mwet seluh and the workers assisting him. \n\nAs modes of transportation have changed over time, canoes are less often used outside of the reef; however, the canoe is a prominent icon for Kosraeans because it is part of a popular activity of canoe racing. This came about after liberation from the Japanese period. It became a celebration activity on contemporary Kosrae in observation of Kosraean liberation from the Japanese.

The Babadok is a traditional percussion instrument of Timor-Leste, central to the soundscape of communal dance, ritual, and celebration. With its deep, resonant rhythm, the babadok doesn’t just keep time—it sets the emotional pulse of an event, weaving together the steps of dancers, the cadence of songs, and the energy of the gathered community.\n\nTypically made from a hollowed-out log or wooden tube covered at both ends with animal skin—often goat or cowhide—the babadok is lightweight and portable. Struck with the hands or sometimes with short wooden sticks, it produces a sharp, dry beat that is both grounding and expressive. The drumheads are stretched tightly and tied securely with natural fiber ropes, sometimes decorated with paint or carved patterns. Over time, each instrument develops its own distinct tone, shaped by use, climate, and craftsmanship.\n\nIn traditional ceremonies, particularly dances like tebe-tebe or tebe-lilin, the babadok is the heartbeat of the performance. It provides tempo, signals changes in movement, and helps dancers synchronize their steps. More than a musical tool, the babadok becomes a channel through which emotions—joy, sorrow, gratitude—are communicated and shared. During ritual gatherings, it may accompany singing, recitation of oral histories, or moments of spiritual invocation.\n\nThe instrument is most often played by women, though in some regions both men and women participate. Its accessibility is part of its charm—anyone with rhythm, respect, and a sense of the tradition can learn to play. Children often grow up hearing the babadok played at family ceremonies or village festivals, absorbing its patterns and rhythms before they ever try it themselves.\n\nCrafting a babadok is itself an act of cultural care. The choice of wood, the drying and stretching of the skins, and the tying of the drum all follow methods passed down through generations. Elders often guide young artisans in this process, emphasizing not just the technique but the responsibility that comes with creating something used in sacred and social spaces.\n\nDespite its enduring importance, the babadok—like many traditional instruments—faces challenges in modern times. Mass-produced drums and changing musical preferences mean that fewer young people are learning to make or play it. Still, efforts are being made to preserve the tradition, with community performances, school programs, and cultural events placing the instrument back at the center of public life.\n\nIn the rhythm of the babadok, one can hear more than music: it is the sound of continuity, of people moving together, of ancestors remembered and futures imagined. Whether echoing across a dusty dance circle or softly beating in a sacred house, the babadok remains a powerful symbol of Timor-Leste’s living heritage.

Kazakh masters have historically made different kinds of leather clothes and accessories as well as dishes, horse riggings, and other culturally relevant goods. The prevalence of leather goods indicates that leather production has long been a highly valued part of local traditional culture. The most significant part of nomadic economy was brought to fruition through leather manufacturing. Products related to equestrian lifestyles—girths, bridles, bibs, saddles, etc. Leatherwork consists of several stages. After processing the skins, they are boiled in a paint made from the rhizomes of trees, then dried. After that, the necessary parts are sewn, and an ornament is applied to the damp skin. After the ornament is ready, a vessel is filled with sand and dried, then the sand pours out and the product is dried again in the wind. The process ensures that the product will never change its original form.

Grandfathers of Lawngwaw people stayed on the moon. When they held offering ceremony of moon edifice, they played Zen instrument. They played Zen Manau drum is played to celebrate Zen Gaw ceremony annually by preserving their tradition.\nTaun Ta Mar wood is made hollow body and two playing surface is covered cow’s skin. Yarn cane fibers put on to make cown’s skin tied and loose. The pictures of moon and sun paint the body of Zen. The striker is struck the drum face to produce song. It is chainging to play according to dancing pattern. It is played Zen Kaw ceremony and when grandparents dead ,their sprits sent to moon.\n-5 feet 4 inches in Length\n-4 feet 10 inches in Girth\n-1 feet 3 inches in Diameter of right drum face\n-4 feet 2 inches in Circumference of right drum surface\n-1 feet 2 inches in Diameter of left drum face\n-4 feet 2 inches in Circumference of left drum surface

Grandfathers of Lawngwaw people stayed on the moon. When they held offering ceremony of moon edifice, they played Zen instrument. They played Zen Manau drum is played to celebrate Zen Gaw ceremony annually by preserving their tradition.\nTaun Ta Mar wood is made hollow body and two playing surface is covered cow’s skin. Yarn cane fibers put on to make cown’s skin tied and loose. The pictures of moon and sun paint the body of Zen. The striker is struck the drum face to produce song. It is chainging to play according to dancing pattern. It is played Zen Kaw ceremony and when grandparents dead ,their sprits sent to moon.\n-5 feet 4 inches in Length\n-4 feet 10 inches in Girth\n-1 feet 3 inches in Diameter of right drum face\n-4 feet 2 inches in Circumference of right drum surface\n-1 feet 2 inches in Diameter of left drum face\n-4 feet 2 inches in Circumference of left drum surface

Tari Mansorandak is a dance created by reconstructing the Mansorandak ritual, a tradition passed down in the Tari region in Papua, the easternmost part of Indonesia. The dancers wear traditional costumes, paint red and white patterns on their bodies and dance an exuberant and dynamic dance. The dance is accompanied by a traditional Wor song, containing the wisdom of the Biak.\n\nMansorandak is a traditional welcoming ritual, performed when a respected individual visits the village, or tribesmen who had left the village a long time ago return home, to express joy and gratitude at their safe return, and ward off any bad energy that may have followed them in. The Mansorandak tradition, which welcomes guests with a heartfelt ritual, is a form of cultural heritage all the more worthy of safeguarding in modern society where the value of family is being eroded and exclusivism towards outsiders is intensifying.\n\nCharacteristics:\n∙Originates from a welcome ritual\n\nPerformed by Marwar Budaya Dance Atelier\nDirected by Maria Sofia Trimawarsanti\nChoreographed by Maria Sofia Trimawarsanti

In the ancient time, the sound generated by a striking on the leather stretched on the rice pounding mortar fascinated the ancestors. The idea of Wa traditional long drum originated in it. Cattle leather is stretched on a head and the throat of it is carved with the decoration of convolutions. The chicken breast is coated with the red paint and the lower part is with the black paint. It's played by hands on the head.\n-2 feet and 10 inches in height of long drum\n-4 feet and one inches in the circumference of chicken breast\n-15 inches in diameter of leather surface\n-18 inches in the circumference of throat

Rickshaw is considered one of the most popular transport vehicles in Bangladesh. Millions of rickshaws can be seen all over the country. It is one of the most easy-to-get and traditional vehicles in this region. Basically, this is a three-wheeled pedicab driven by a person who is generally called 'rickshaw-wala'. It is required to put hard physical labor to drive this vehicle. Most of the Asian nations have their own form of this primitive transportation. But, in Bangladesh, the vibrant, colorful designs on rickshaw has taken it to another level of aesthetics and craftsmanship. The painted rectangular metal board at the backside, between the two wheels of the vehicle is the main attraction of the whole artwork. This is what you generally refer to as rickshaw painting- a genre of art that is unique to the Bengali culture. Sometimes it resembles rural life, sometimes historic incidents or movie stars or surreal thoughts, essentially to attract the passengers. This is a traditional Bangladeshi urban folk art form that represents the culture, history, and livelihood of common people. In reality, every rickshaw is a single mobile piece of art.\n\nThe themes of rickshaw painting are a bit different in different cities. In Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, the paintings are more vibrant than the paintings Chittagong region, and you can also notice the difference in Rajshahi or other regions. But most of the time It includes the colorful paint of birds, flowers, village scenery, liberation war, cinema poster, cities, mythology, animals, human beings, national monuments, etc. Even sometimes global incidents inspire the artisans. There were rickshaw paintings in Dhaka based on the incidence of the collapse of twin towers in the United States of America.\nThe rickshaw painters are considered as traditional folk artists. Their arts are sometimes considered as people's art. There are different types of rickshaw painters. Mostly they are less educated. They are the people who have been working in rickshaw garages. If you visit the rickshaw garages you may find elderly people who have been painting for decades. This is somehow a pearl of local wisdom. Most of the early artisans self-taught. They have no institutional training or knowledge of painting. However, their colorful vibrant paintings on rickshaw show their craftsmanship, skill, and level of imagination and observation power. These paintings on the body of the rickshaw can easily catch someone's eye which is the main reason behind rickshaw painting- to attract passengers. nThe painters reflect their own likings and desires in their paint as well as the desires of the people who are ordering the painting. They also consider the likings of the passengers whom we call rickshaw-jatri. The decoration and painting attract the general riders. They enjoy watching this piece of art.\n\nWe can see some challenges nowadays, in terms of keep going on with this traditional form of art because of mechanization, modernization, and urbanization. Rickshaws are gradually being withdrawn from selected streets of the larger cities. There is a doubt that this will eventually affect the traditional art form. If this continues to happen, the big cities will have no more rickshaws which is really a big threat to the art form. Some people also oppose rickshaw pulling because this is a very hard physical labor-oriented occupation. But if rickshaw gets withdrawn from the big cities there will be a risk to lose the tradition and it will affect the economy and living of the people related to this. nThe traditional artisans of rickshaw painting are somehow facing some problems to keep going on with their traditional livelihood. They complain that they are not getting enough earing from rickshaw painting these days. They paint rickshaws with their hands. But nowadays there are other available digital paint forms like screen printing which costs three or four times less than the hand paintings. So the rickshaw owners are preferring to buy these screen printings. nRickshaw painting is one of the most tangible forms of intangible cultural practice. This art is considered 'peoples art. The painted rectangular metal board at the backside, between the two wheels, leaves a trail of passion that the Rickshaw artist puts in his creations. This craftsmanship requires knowledge and skills which is transmitted from the early rickshaw painters themselves. nSome young students of Charukola, Dhaka University; one of the most influential fine arts institutes of the country, have expressed their thoughts on the safeguarding of this unique art form. They are also trying to revitalize this traditional form of art. They are trying to make it popular among the urban upper and middle-class society. They suggested using this form of art on other products like dresses, mobile phones, and other accessories. nAs the genre of the rickshaw paint is dying down due to digital printing and other such technologies, some young Bangladeshi artists are trying to bring back rickshaw art and promote it by hand painting on modern, innovative products. They are trying to convert the traditional form of rickshaw art into a modern form of art. \n\nThe youth of Bangladesh is very much connected to this intangible cultural heritage and they are finding their way to safeguard and promote it in this era of digital printing. While we can feel the risk of diminishing this art form, It is a light that young people who are parts of institutional or formal fine arts are trying to safeguard and promote the knowledge and tradition of the painting. They are also taking steps to preserve and protect the form of art .