Today, it is generally acknowledged that indigenous culture and knowledge around the world is under threat by globalization, rights infringement and violation, and other effects of modernization, including the general lack of respect for traditional culture and the individuals or communities through which that culture is manifested.

Throughout the years, I have been researching Korean recreational activ-ities, and among them, the tug-of-war was definitely the most central theme. According to my research, the Korean tug-of-war has many different fea-tures following the different regional characteristics, but they also have similar patterns. Although it is possible to speculate that the diverse characteristics of each region’s tug-of-war is due to the area’s geo-ecological, sociocultural, and magi-co-religious factors and culture exchange, it is difficult to prove these factors in depth. Thus, this paper examines the diverse features present in the tug-of-war through studies completed up to now. Also I would like to add that the only intent for the tug-of-war studies was to compile and examine them in this report. Despite many methods in examining the diversity of tug-of-war, this paper sets a few standards to reveal the present features, and with these standards, the meaning of Korean tug-of-war can be understood.

"I would first like to thank the International Information and Networking Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO for its excellent initiative in organising this meeting regarding the notion of sustainable development in relation to intangible cultural heritage. I have known Korea for more than thirty years now. I have always been impressed by the way in which your country manages to reconcile tradition and modernity, how, in respect of its heritage and its roots, it has preserved its traditional forms of expression and assured their development while promoting contemporary creation that is indissociably linked to the specificities of Korean culture. That’s why I have always cited Korea as an example to be followed and respected. And for this reason, over the past four decades, I have worked to make the intangible cultural heritage of Korea better known in France. Thanks to the support of Professor Kim Jeong Ok and the directors of the Korean Cultural Center in Paris, I have presented to French audiences, since 1974, several dozen performances such as Bongsan Mask Dance, Pansori, Sungmu, Salp’uri, Ssikkim Kut, Son Mu, Court Dances, Gagok, Samul Nori, different types of puppet and theatre performances, and so many others, offering a better understanding of the culture of your country to audiences who had been unaware of its richness. In this keynote speech, I will simply touch on a few issues that, I am sure, "

The Dance of the Drums of Drametse, also known as Drametse Ngacham, is a popular mask dance performed throughout Bhutan. It was first introduced in the sixteenth century by Khedup Kuenga Wangpo, son of Terton Pema Lingpa. It is a unique Bhutanese cultural expression and reflects the cultural and spiritual identity of Bhutan. Until the late nineteenth century, the dance remained confined to the Drametse community under the patronage of Thegchog Ogyen Namdroel Choeling. Later it was introduced to other parts of the country. Today, Drametse Nagacham is performed in almost all local festivals and celebrations. In November 2005, at the Third Proclamation of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, UNESCO proclaimed it a Masterpiece.

When thinking of practices and expressions of intangible cultural heritage (ICH), traditional crafts making is perhaps the most tangible manifestation. However, when recognizing the potential of crafts making in empowering the individual, it is worth first looking beyond the physical craft objects to the processes behind them. Actually, to their very genesis. The act of making is ingrained in the beginnings of our human experience. It is essential to our nature and offers a deeper meaning and understanding of our humanity and identity. Furniture maker Peter Korn describes how craft making can be a holistic experience with the things around us, can invite a sense of meditation and self-transformation.1) As a maker, the individual is in control, the knowledge and skills are within you, and you can independently take ownership over your own development and production. Crafts making can as such be a liberating sensation and at the same time a meaningful bond or lineage to your geographical place, identity, culture and heritage. At its very roots, crafts making offers dignified, meaningful opportunities, the chance to do a job well done and make a product of quality in a world of disposable, low quality objects.

The tug-of-war is one of the most well-known intangible cultural heritage elements that represent the Republic of Korea. Tug-of-war games were widely enjoyed by people across the country before the 1930s and 1940s. During the 1960s, the tug-of-war came under the protection of the Cultural Heritage Conservation Policy and has been appointed and is being managed by local and national governments. Locally, eight tug-of-war traditions have been inscribed on the national inventory list. Moreover, compared to other ICH element studies, of the element has been significantly researched.\n\nTug-of-war is a cultural heritage element of many East Asian nations, and these nations are preparing to nominate the element to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. In this context, the goal of this paper is to discover universal traits in tug-of-war traditions in East Asia. However, besides the Republic of Korea and Japan, there is insufficient research on tug-of-war traditions in the region, which limits the scope of this presentation. In case of China, despite the existence of various records on tug-of-war in literature, the tradition as it exists in China today seems to be more of a sports match than a ritual event. I would also like to mention that this paper is a draft based on document records, the Internet, and the academic symposium hosted by Gijisi Tug-of-War Conservation Institute.

As the term “martial” having its origins in the name of Mars (the Roman god of war) suggests, martial arts are often conceived as synonymous with fighting. This prevalent misconception has been intensified by the ever-growing popularity of combat sports and mixed martial arts coupled with the media and entertainment industry. Despite the common perception of martial arts as mere fighting methods, they are in fact the epitome of intangible cultural heritage (ICH). Numerous martial traditions contain such non-martial elements as dances, rituals, and folk games.

"Before starting this project, it was necessary to agree upon some definitions and concepts. Without understanding these concepts, it might have become difficult to create a suitable structure for the fieldwork. With this in mind, at the beginning of the project, which is based on a theoretical framework, we discussed the concept of agriculture.\n\n“To what we call culture in pre-established way is nothing but agriculture,” says Dr. Saheb Khandare in his 2012 book Krushi Sanskruti (Indian Agriculture), written in the Marathi language. Elaborating on this statement, he says, “in prehistoric times the word ‘clan’ was derived from kus. Kus means tilling, in the "

"To the Pacific islanders, the waters that separate them are also a factor that connects them. Bearing this in mind, the four themes in this section offer a glimpse into the need to hold mastery over the sea for survival—for the fish that sustain the people and for the creation of pathways to connect them. Through extensive interisland trade, the ocean pathways maintain and sustain relationships for political, social, educational, economic, and most of all, spiritual benefits. \nIn “Palauan Knowledge of the Sea,” for example, we see how extensive methods and nuances of fishing and oceanic knowledge are part of both the livelihood and identity of Palauans. Similarly, by examining the Yapese knowledge related to canoes and ocean voyaging, we can see the effects and importance of inherited know-how on the connected lives of Micronesians through the ages and today. In these and all the themes in this section, we see how expressions by custodians of cultural know-how and development of sophisticated navigational systems have allowed Pacific islanders to travel safely and interact with the ocean and each other. Pacific navigation is perhaps one of the most singular human achievements of humanity. "

Co-orgarnized by ICHCAP and Hue Monuments Conservation Centre (HMCC), this year’s Asia-Pacific ICH NGO Conference was held in Hue, Vietnam under the theme of ICH NGOs towards Sustainable Development of Communities.

Chak-ka-yer or tug-of-war is one of the oldest traditional team games of Thailand. It is believed that chak-ka-yer derived from imitating the work of humans pulling a trolley with a heavy load, the behaviors of bulls, buffaloes, or elephants in pulling heavy things, and a Buddhist ceremony called Chak-Phra, in which a Buddha image is placed on a beautifully decorated cart and pulled in a procession so that people pay respect to the Buddha image as it rolled by.

Co-orgarnized by ICHCAP and Hue Monuments Conservation Centre (HMCC), this year’s Asia-Pacific ICH NGO Conference was held in Hue, Vietnam under the theme of ICH NGOs towards Sustainable Development of Communities.