Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, 2008\nMaqom is a complicated musical composition of many parts and governed by certain rules that developed over centuries. Uzbek maqoms have two parts: mushkilot (instrumental part) and nasr (song part).\n\nMaqom development in Uzbekistan is associated with state centers—Bukhara in Bukhara Emirates, Khiva in Khorezm Khanet, and Kokand in Kokand Khanet.\n\nThese centers resulted in the formation of three maqom types, “Shashmaqom” (Bukhara), which includes six maqoms and “Khorezm maqoms” (Khorezm), which includes six-and-a-half maqoms. In Ferghana-Tashkent (Kokand), maqom cycles that contain four maqoms were edited by professional musicians of the palace.\n\nIn this film, skilled musicians and students perform all three maqom cycles. Recording was conducted in Tashkent, Ferghana, Khorezm, and Bukhara and was enriched with interviews from maqom researchers and masters.

Aitys is a contest centred on improvised oral poetry spoken or sung to the accompaniment of traditional musical instruments – the Kazakh dombra. Two performers (akyns) compete with one other to improvise verses on topical themes in a battle of wits that alternates between humorous ripostes and penetrating philosophical reflections. During the competition, the performers sit opposite one another improvising a dialogue on topics chosen by the audience. The winner is the performer considered to have demonstrated the best musical skills, rhythm, originality, resourcefulness, wisdom and wit. The most meaningful and witty expressions often become popular sayings. The element is practiced on a variety of occasions, ranging from local festivities to nationwide events, where practitioners often use the contest to raise important social issues. Although it was traditionally performed only by men, many women now participate in Aitys and use the contest to express women’s aspirations and viewpoints.

The ICH festivals in the Kyrgyz Republic are a great way to safeguard the cultural heritage. Kyrgyzstan has a rich ICH and embraces all ICH domains including the oral traditions andexpressions, performing arts, social practices, rituals and festive event, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe, and traditional craftsmanship. Festivals feature various ICH domains such as arts and crafts, cuisine, folklore, felt, hunting with birds, horse games, etc. For instance, the festivals Kyrgyz Shyrdagy and the Oimo International Festival are held with the aim of safeguarding and popularizing traditional knowledge and skills of handicrafts, for safeguarding and promoting traditional games, various birds of prey festivals are held, such as Salbuurun and Kok Boru. Moreover, festivals are dedicated to safeguarding oral traditions, such as Aitysh, the art of improvisation as well as many other festivals reflecting traditional cuisine, folklore, etc.

In 1950, a man, named Paw Shwun Hla Phu,from Sa-non-bon Region, was the very first person who played this flute to express his grief over the death of his beloved wife. With the passage of time, he was able to seek solace and later he played flute in his village. It was so pleasing that he was requested by the reverend priest U Down Phaung Non to give a performance in the church on February 3, 1952, and in Galoun Tahtaung Church for the second time on March 2. On April 6, 1954, his performance was titled Wunpawng Sumpy is. When the chieftain Duwar Zawsai heard his playing, he was asked to entertain. They awarded him for his great performance. Later, Wunpawng Sumpyi flute was played together with gong and two other traditional musical instruments and Wunpawng Sumpyi orchestra was formed.\nBamboo grows in the wild in hilly region, which must expose to the sunlight, is used to make this flute. A total of six holes are perforated on this bamboo stick. The second last finger hole is seal up. It is played by blowing into mouthpiece and by opening and closing of the finger holes on the flute. Western music also can be played with this flute. The flute sounds Key C. It is played in some special events such as new year festival, campfire festivity, harvesting festival, housewarming ceremony and wedding ceremony.\n-1 feet 5 inches in Length\n-1.5 inches in Circumference\n-1.5 inches in Distance from mouthpiece to the top\n-6.5 inches in Distance from mouthpiece from the first finger hole\n-2.5 inches in Length from the top to the last finger hole

In 1950, a man, named Paw Shwun Hla Phu, from Sa-non-bon Region, was the very first person who played this flute to express his grief over the death of his beloved wife. With the passage of time, he was able to seek solace and later he played flute in his village. It was so pleasing that he was requested by the reverend priest U Down Phaung Non to give a performance in the church on February 3, 1952, and in Galoun Tahtaung Church for the second time on March 2. On April 6, 1954, his performance was titled Wunpawng Sumpyi. When the chieftain Duwar Zawsai heard his playing, he was asked to entertain. They awarded him for his great performance. Later, Wunpawng Sumpyi flute was played together with gong and two other traditional musical instruments and Wunpawng Sumpyi orchestra was formed.\nBamboo grows in the wild in hilly region, which must expose to the sunlight, is used to make this flute. A total of six holes are perforated on this bamboo stick. The second last finger hole is seal up. It is played by blowing into mouth piece and by opening and closing of the finger holes on the flute. Western music also can be played with this flute. The flute sounds Key of C. It is played in some special events such as new year festival, campfire festivity, harvesting festival, housewarming ceremony and wedding ceremony.\n-1 feet 5 inches in length\n-1.5 inches in circumference\n-1.5 inches in distance from mouth piece to the top\n-6.5 inches in distance from mouthpiece from the first finger hole\n-2.5 inches in length from the top to the last finger hole

Topeng is a word which means ‘wooden mask’ and is also used to refer to a form of masked dance theater which is transmitted in Java and Bali. ‘Panji Topeng’ is one of the most popular Topeng performances, based on the Panji chronicles, transmitted in Java. The tales of Panji, which exist in a range of variations, have been transmitted widely around the Southeast Asian region, and have inspired a wide range of traditional Indonesian dances, including Topeng performed in Cirebon, West Java and Malang, Java.\n\nPanji Topeng is characterized by the fluid and smooth movements of dancers wearing white masks. The silent and refined movements of dancers that almost appear to be gliding rather than walking, is the pinnacle of artistry in the Panji Topeng. After the diffusion of Hinduism, epics such as the Ramayana and Mahahbarata became the theme of Topeng dances. The dancers express fables, heroic sagas and legends about kings in dance, set to the music of gamelan. The oldest record of the Topeng dance can be found in the Nāgarakrĕtāgama epic about Hayam Wuruk (1334~1389), king of Majapahit, a Hindu kingdom in the 14th century. A handwritten copy of the Nāgarakrĕtāgama (1365), stored in the National Library of Indonesia, was included the Memory of the World Register in 2013.\n\nCharacteristics:\n∙Masked dance\n∙“Nāgarakrĕtāgama” (1365), the oldest existing documentation of the Topeng dance was inscribed to the Memory of the World Register in 2013.\n\nPerformed by Dadijono Darmawan\nDirected by Dadijono Darmawan\nChoreographed by Dadijono Darmawan

Having originated in bhani, a type of drama, mentioned in at least 10th century inscriptions of Cambodia, Lkhon Khol today is performed by males, wearing masks with the accompaniment of pin peat, a traditional orchestra, and melodious recitation. It performs only episodes from Reamker, a Cambodian version of the Indian Ramayana.\nLkhon Khol Wat Svay Andet is distinct from the generic form because its specific aim is to propitiate Neak Ta (guardian spirits of a place and its people; in this case the community of Wat Svay Andet), and in so doing, protect and make prosperous the community, its lands and harvest. When Lkhon Khol is performed especially during a fixed date after the New Year, spirit mediums are presented to facilitate interaction between the Neak Ta, performers and villagers. Spirit mediums, who predict the situation for the upcoming year, attend the performance and become possessed by the Neak Ta and then might get on the stage. When the spirits are satisfied by the performance, villagers are blessed by them, and if not, dancers will stop; the music continues; and the audience will fall silent and carefully listen to the spirits. Then the episode must be performed again. nIn Wat Svay Andet, Lkhon Khol has such spiritual significance in the community that some Reamker characters have become local deities in themselves. For example, on the campus of the monastery, a shrine for Hanuman (Monkey General) locally called Lok Ta Kamheng is built and venerated. The mask for Tos Mok (Ravana, King of the Demons) also lives and is venerated in a spirit house at the home of the family that has danced that role for several generations. In addition to the intrinsic specificity of the Wat Svay Andet form, some external differences are noted, such as the fact that three of the key roles are not masked. In fact their faces are painted white, indicating that they are neither mortals nor gods. The costumes, which are very refined with magnificent embroidery, are also different especially from those of the Battambang Troupe. Melodies for recitations are also different and richer. nLkhon Khol Wat Svay Andet is not performed by professional artists, but by the villagers themselves, and they do not perform for money but for merits and their community’s well-being. Everyone in the community is obliged to contribute, either by direct participation in the performance or by sharing support, e.g. financial or labor. Even villagers, who have migrated for work, tend to come back for the ritual and believe that if they don’t come, they could be struck by illness or bad luck.

It is made of the hard bamboo which can be got from a long distance. Kayans cut the grain of bamboo into a thin layers and dry it in the air for making the sound string. There are eight bamboo strings in the instrument. This instrument is made by themselves. The player holds the bamboo harp by his hands and plays by his right and left fingers. In playing, the player plays and sings the lyrics and words of the song. When they go courting, they sing and play music to each other, composing their feeling and how they love. There are group songs. Since yore, this harp has been preserved and handed down from generation to generation as a traditional heritage. There is no exact record in what year and era it appeared.\n-30.5 cm in the length of the first string\n-33.4 cm in the length of the second string\n-37.1 cm in the length of the third string\n-39.6 cm in the length of the fourth string\n-42.2 cm in the length of the fifth string\n-43.5 cm in the length of the sixth string\n-49 cm in the length of the seventh string\n-52 cm in the length of the eighth string\n-2 cm in The distance of the string\n-The length of the bamboo harp is 72.5 cm\n-The circumference of the harp is 44 cm

It is made of the hard bamboo which can be got from a long distance. Kayans cut the grain of bamboo into a thin layers and dry it in the air for making the sound string. There are eight bamboo strings in the instrument. This instrument is made by themselves. The player holds the bamboo harp by his hands and plays by his right and left fingers. In playing, the player plays and sings the lyrics and words of the song. When they go courting, they sing and play music to each other, composing their feeling and how they love. There are group songs. Since yore, this harp has been preserved and handed down from generation to generation as a traditional heritage. There is no exact record in what year and era it appeared.\n-30.5 cm in the length of the first string\n-33.4 cm in the length of the second string\n-37.1 cm in the length of the third string\n-39.6 cm in the length of the fourth string\n-42.2 cm in the length of the fifth string\n-43.5 cm in the length of the sixth string\n-49 cm in the length of the seventh string\n-52 cm in the length of the eighth string\n-2 cm in The distance of the string\n-The length of the bamboo harp is 72.5 cm\n-The circumference of the harp is 44 cm

Inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008\nSpecific to the villages of the state of Kelantan in northwest Malaysia, where the tradition originated, Mak Yong is a kind of musical that combines acting, singing, music, dancing, and colorful costumes. \nMost roles are performed by women, and the stories are based on ancient Malay folk tales Kelantan-Pattani. The lyrics of the songs in Makyong primarily revolve around themes of war, loyalty to the king and kingdom, and the association of this loyalty with religious piety. Mak Yong is also associated with rituals in which shamans attempt to heal through song, trance-dance, and spirit possession. In addition, this performing art properly mixes Hindu and Islamic elements and portrays traditional Malay court life.

Ca trù is a complex form of sung poetry found in the north of Viet Nam using lyrics written in traditional Vietnamese poetic forms. Ca trù groups comprise three performers: a female singer who uses breathing techniques and vibrato to create unique ornamented sounds, while playing the clappers or striking a wooden box, and two instrumentalists who produce the deep tone of a three-stringed lute and the strong sounds of a praise drum. Some Ca trù performances also include dance. The varied forms of Ca trù fulfill different social purposes, including worship singing, singing for entertainment, singing in royal palaces and competitive singing. Ca trù has fifty-six different musical forms or melodies, each of which is called thể cách. Folk artists transmit the music and poems that comprise Ca trù pieces by oral and technical transmission, formerly, within their family line, but now to any who wish to learn. Ongoing wars and insufficient awareness caused Ca trù to fall into disuse during the twentieth century. Although the artists have made great efforts to transmit the old repertoire to younger generations, Ca trù is still under threat of being lost due to the diminishing number and age of practitioners.

The water puppet theater troupe of Hong Phong formed in Bo Duong Village, about 60 km east of Hanoi. Hong Phong water puppet theater is believed to have begun in the late seventeenth century-the shapes of the puppets used in this art were found carved on the pillars of the village temple. The troupe performs for visitors to the village's traditional festivals, recounting various stories about farmers' lives and the village through puppetry accompanied by music.\n\nThis video demonstrates the connection between the puppet theater and communal worship, in addition to the significance of the performance in Hong Phong Commune.