Materials
bamboo
ICH Materials 561
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Yeondeunghoe (Lantern Lighting Festival), Welcoming the Post-Covid EraOn April 15, the Ministry of Health and Welfare in Korea announced that all measures of social distancing will be lifted from April 18, after about two years and one month. From this day on, many fields are expected to normalize as pre-COVID-19, and festivals and events are also in the mood to be revived.\n\nYeondeunghoe, the Lotus Lantern Festival in Korea was originally held every year before Buddha’s Birthday (April 8th in the lunar calendar), but due to COIVID-19, it could not be held normally in 2020 and 2021. Coincidentally, Yeondeunghoe was registered as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2020 when the COVID-19 outbreak was rampant. The Yeondeunghoe Preservation Committee, which organizes the event, declared that the event will be held normally this year. Based on Jogyesa Temple in Seoul, the event began on April 5 this year and will run until Buddha’s birthday (May 8 this year).\n\nAccording to the Standard Korean Dictionary, “Yeondeunghoe originated in Silla as a ritual to light a light and pray for good fortune on the birthday of Buddha, and was held on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month during the reign of King Taejo of Goryeo. In the first year of King Hyeonjong’s reign (1010), it was changed to the 15th day of February.” The festival continues from the period of the northern and southern kingdoms through the Goryeo period, the Joseon period, and the Japanese colonial period to the present day. Since Buddhism was introduced to Korea, the festival has been an important cultural event for both the royal court and the common people. Historically, Yeondeunghoe in Goryeo period, which was held as a national event, had the greatest social function, and it also functioned as an important cultural event and festival for the common people. Even in the Joseon Dynasty, when Confucianism was a national ideology, Yeondeunghoe functioned as an important cultural event and festival for the common people. While the festival of Silla and Goryeo, which were Buddhist countries, had a strong national and religious color, the festival of Joseon, which was a Confucian country, was more a private event than a religious event. Even today, the lantern festival has become an important cultural event for the public and has become a citizen’s festival that non-Buddhists can enjoy. The event is largely composed of a ceremony to bathe the baby Buddha, a procession of lanterns, and a Buddhist ceremony.\n\nThe ICH values of the “Yeondeunghoe, Korea Lantern Festival,” which was recognized through UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritages in 2020, are as follows.\n\n“Yeondeunghoe is a festival in which all people, regardless of gender or age, participate as equal members of society. In particular, the active participation of women and children stands out in the festival. Although patriarchal culture has long been strongly entrenched in Korean society, Yeondeunghoe serves as an opportunity to uplift women and children in particular. Traditionally, for young people, the festival has been an effective means of expressing their creativity by experimenting with various shapes and colors of lanterns. Yeondeunghoe contributes to social cohesion. Lantern festivals are usually a place to share joy and happiness, but in times of social adversity, they unite society and help people overcome the problems they face. In 2014, when the whole country was shocked and grieved by the tragic Sewol ferry accident, all pre-planned Lotus Lantern events were canceled and the following new topics were announced. “Sharing sorrow and gathering hope.” This shows that Yeondeunghoe is being performed in a close relationship with society’s interest and the sentiments of the times.”\n\nYeondeunghoe, which has been transmitted to this day, has become a precious event that has shared joys and sorrows with the public for a long time beyond its religious significance. Since 2020, many people are living a difficult daily life that they have never experienced before due to COVID-19. After three years, the streets are back with the lanterns. That is why the meaning of the Yeondeunghoe, which we will meet for the first time after the dark of era of COVID-19, and which has not yet been fully lifted, is even more special. I hope that the Yeondeunghoe, which has revealed the emotions of the times and the value of life, can be a light of comfort and hope to those who have been exhausted from the pandemic over the past three years.\n\nphoto 1 : Lantern Lighting Festival 2022 © Republic of Korea, CC BY-SA 2.0, Changed: Size, Level\nphoto 2 : Lantern Lighting Festival © Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea, KOGL Type1, Changed: Size, Level\nphoto 3 : Lantern Lighting Festival 2001 © Pravin Premkumar, CC BY 2.0Year2022NationSouth Korea
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PUNNUK, THE TUGGING RITUAL IN HUNGDUAN, CLOSING AN AGRICULTURAL CYCLEIn Hungduan, Ifugao, three communities—Hapao, Baang, and Nungulunan—observe three post-harvest rituals, collectively known as huowah. Punnuk, an intense tugging match in the Hapao River, is the last of the three rituals.Year2014NationSouth Korea
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Punnuk: Unwinding after the Harvest, the Tugging Ritual in the PhilippinesThe punnuk is a tugging ritual of the village folk from three communities in Hungduan, Ifugao in Northern Luzon, Philippines. It is performed at the confluence of Hapao River and a tributary as the final ritual after the rice harvest. Its consummation brings to a close an agricultural cycle and signals the beginning of a new one. \n\nThe punnuk is a ritual of pomp and revelry. Garbed in their predominantly red-col-ored attire of the Tuwali ethno-linguistic subgroup, the participants negotiate the terraced fields in a single file amidst lush greens under the blue skies. The tempo builds up as the participants reach the riverbank, each group positioned opposite the other. The excitement is sustained through the final tugging match, and the sinewy brawn of the participants is highlighted by the river’s rushing water.Year2019NationJapan,Cambodia,South Korea,Philippines,Ukraine,Viet Nam
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Mongolian Culture and HeritageThe culture of the Central Asian steppes expresses itself vividly in the lifestyle of traditional nomadic practices. Mongolian culture has been in practice in the nomadic life and the traditions surrounding the nomad’s home (ger). And it is present in religious celebrations, national festivals, art and crafts, music and dance, language and literature, which form the backbone of Mongolian intangible cultural heritage of Mongolia. Mongolia is filled with valuable cultural properties and intangible cultural heritage of humanity that have been kept or practiced for thousands of years.\n\nGer, Mongolian Traditional Dwelling\nThe traditional architecture of the Mongols differed strongly from that of the settled peoples of Asia and other continents. Centuries ago, there the ger, also known as a yurt, appeared. It still offers shelter to nomads in particular places in Central Asia. Its development and fundamental principles are determined by the specific features of the way of life of Mongol tribes, which made it necessary to evolve a light and collapsible structure to be used as a dwelling or for public functions.\n\nMongolian Language and Literature\nMongolian is the language of most of the Mongolian population and inner Mongolia. By origin, Mongolian is one of the Altaic family of languages, and the history of the Mongolian language is long and complicated. Significant literary work of early Mongolia includes The Secret History of the Mongols, which was published in 1228).\n\nMongolian Religion and Beliefs\nThe Mongols have practiced several religions, of which Shamanism and Buddhism were the most common. The faith in Mongolia is Buddhism, though the state and religion were separated during the socialist period, but with the transition to the parliamentary republic in the 1990s, there has been a general revival of faiths across the country\n\nMongolian Art and Crafts\nMongolian arts and crafts have been passed down across generations from the Paleolithic times to today, leaving behind deep impressions on all facets of life and conscious, aesthetic, and philosophical thinking. Highly developed Mongolian arts and crafts come from the second millennium BCE. The works included sculptured heads of wild animals with exaggerated features. Other items include knives, daggers, and other items of practical and religious use.\n\nMongolian Music and Dance\nMusic is an integral part of Mongolian culture. Among Mongolia’s unique contributions to the world’s musical culture are the long songs, overtone singing, and morin khuur (the horse-headed fiddle). The music of Mongolia is also rich with varieties related to the various ethnic groups of the country. Among the most popular forms of modern music in Mongolia are Western pop and rock genres and the mass songs written by contemporary authors in the form of folk songs.\n\nHorse Culture of Mongolia\nIt is famously known that horses play a large role in the Mongols’ daily and national lives. Common sayings are, “A Mongol without a horse is like a bird without wings,” and “Mongols are born on horseback” these are arguably true words. Even today, horse-based culture is still practiced by nomadic Mongolians.\n\nVisit https://www.toursmongolia.com/tours for additional information about Mongolian culture.\n\nPhoto 1 : Prairie meadow grass inner Mongolia traditional clothing © Batzaya Choijiljav\nPhoto 2~7 : © Batzaya ChoijiljavYear2020NationMongolia
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Lialiaci(2020 - 2021) PublicationLialiaci is a publication of the iTaukei Institute of Language and Culture, Ministry of iTaukei Affairs. Lialiaci means to ponder or reflect upon deeply.\n\nThat is the intent of these articles and perspectives on culture.Year2021NationFiji
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Poe (Incense sticks) Production in BhutanThe burning of incense in the sacred shrines of Buddhist monasteries, temples, and also in the consecrated spaces that house the representations of the supreme spiritual beings is considered a kind of offering of sweet fragrances to the enlightened beings and also has the power to purify the impurities associated with us in any form that prevent us from realizing the innate Buddha nature and receiving the blessings. For this reason, incense is crucial in the performance of any type of ritual in the world of Buddhism. In general, burning herbs and making smoke offerings outdoors and burning incense in shrines have the same meaning and benefit; to purify defilements, pacify spirits, accumulate merit for oneself, and connect people to the spiritual world.\n\nThe production of incense is considered one of the religious crafts, as the product is used exclusively for religious purposes. There are two different types of incense: Ja-ju poe (herbal incense) with a yellowish texture and Zu-poe or Choe-jue poe (incense mixed with flesh and blood ingredients) with a brown color. Ja-ju incense is usually burned explicitly for the enlightened beings and when performing Drol-chog (ritual of Goddess Tara) and Rio-sang-chod (smoke offering at the summit of ridges and mountain to attract good fortunes), rituals associated to Nagas (subterrain sentient beings), while the other is offered to the guardian deities and guardian spirits during affirmation rituals.\n\nThe basic raw materials for both incenses are: Powder of Shug-pa (juniper), Tsen-den (weeping cypress), Balu (Rhododendron ciliatum), Sulu (Rhododendron setosum), Aru (Terminalia chebula), Baru (Terminalia bellirica), Manu (Inula racemosa Hook. f), Ruta (Saussurea lappa), Pang-poe (Valeriana officinalis) and water extracted from Zangdrug; (six valuable substances) Chu-gang (bamboo pitch), Gur-gum (saffron), Li-shi (clove), Ka-ko-la (cardamom), Za-ti (nutmeg), Sug-mel (cubeb) Ga-bur (camphor) and also Tsho (colours). When special ingredients such as Kar gsum; (three white substances) milk, curd and butter and an additional mixture of Ngar-gsum; (three sweet substances) brown sugar, molasses and honey are added to these mixed powders, the product becomes herbal incense and similarly, various ingredients of special animal meat, blood, La-tsi (musk), Gi-wang (elephant bile) and alcohols are added to make Zu-poe incense.\n\nMr. Lhundrup (80) learned the art of making incense sticks at the Government Incense Production Center in Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan, and worked for nearly 8 years. In 1918, after his retiremen, while some friends located their incense production more promisingly in the city, Lhundrup established the present incense production named Lhundrup Poezo-khang in his remote village of Urug in Chumey Gewog (block), Bumthang Dzongkhag (district), Bhutan. Currently, he supervises the production unit while his son Sangay Tenzin (50) takes the main role and his mother Uden (67) sometimes assists her son. Two other employees help them produce a plethora of incense sticks with five different types to meet consumer demand.\n\nProduction Process: Based on the license to produce incense sticks, the raw materials, especially dried junipers, are collected from the opposite foot of Yotong la (a mountain pass in the central region at 3425 meters above sea level) and the rest of the materials are purchased from the highlanders. After collecting the raw materials, they are chopped, dried in the sun and processed into fine powder with the help of an electric grinding machine. In the meantime, a helper prepares the extraction of water from the Six Valuable Substances. During mixing in the kneading machine, 80% of the raw material powder is carefully kneaded with the extracted medicinal water. After removal from the kneading machine, the dough-like incense is formed into a palm sized shape and placed into Tsir-shing (traditional wooden compressor) hole, creating a noodle like discharge while an employee places his or her body weight on the compressor liver. These noodle-like incense sticks are rolled between two wooden boards by the incense makers, cut evenly when the bottom wooden board is full, and dried in the sun. The incense sticks are tied into bundles using thread, dried again, and finally ready for making offering.\n\nphoto 1 : Finished product © Yeshi Lhendup\nphoto 2 : Raw materials being dried © Yeshi Lhendup\nphoto 3 : Drying right after the processe © Yeshi Lhendup\nphoto 4 : Incense being offered in the Local Shrine © Yeshi Lhendup\nphoto 5 : Raising of incense smoke © Yeshi LhendupYear2022NationBhutan
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Tihar Festival in NepalTihar (also known as Deepawali, Diwali, or Yamapanchak) is the most celebrated festival in Nepal. It takes place on Kartik Krishna Pakshya (early or end of November) every year. The five-day-long festival is observed with various activities—the longest of which is the successive worship activities of animals.\n\nOn the first day of the festival, Kaag Tihar (crow worship) is celebrated by offering sweets and foods to birds, especially crows. In Hindu mythology, crows are considered the messenger of Yama (lord of death). As the cawing of the crows symbolizes misfortune, the devotees feed crows to avert grief and death they may cause. On the second day of the festival, Kukur Tihar (worship of dog) is celebrated by offering garlands, tika (red-colored paste), and delicious food to dogs. Dogs occupy a special place in Hindu mythology. As mentioned in the Hindu epic, Mahabharata, Bhairava, a fierce manifestation of Lord Shiva, had a dog as a vahana (vehicle). Yama, the god of death, is believed to own two guard dogs, each with four eyes. The dogs are said to watch over the gates of Naraka, the Hindu concept of hell. In the morning of the third day, Gai Tihar (worship of the cow) is celebrated by offering flower garland, tika, food, and grass to the cow. In Hinduism, cow signifies wealth and prosperity. In the evening, Laxmi, the goddess of wealth, is thanked for all the benefits families may have received by lighting diyo (oil lamps) or candles on doorways and windows; this gesture also welcomes prosperity and well-being. On the fourth day, Goru Tihar (worship of ox) is observed in similar way. Ox is regarded as the closest and most important animal as it assists Nepalese farmers to plough their land for farming. The fifth and the most notable day of the festival is Bhai Tika or Kija Puja. It is observed by sisters applying tika on the forehead of their brothers to ensure long life and prosperity. The Bhai Tika follows a traditional ritual in which brothers sit on the floor and sisters circle brothers three times, dripping the undefiled water (pure; not drunk by anyone) on the floor from a copper pitcher. Then sisters break the walnut with the stone which is placed on the middle area of the main door of the house, wishing that they could alleviate their brothers’ grief.\n\nAnother distinctive feature of Tihar is deusi or vailo, the traditional songs that are sung during the festival. Vaili, a group of people with musical instruments visit houses one by one to sing and dance mainly in the night. The host families highly appreciate the visit of Vaili to their homes and offer rice, fruits, roti (home-made round bread), and some money. A traditional oil lamp on a brass plate or on nanglo (a flat round woven tray made up of bamboo) is lit in the presence of Vaili. It is believed that Vaili blessings bring happiness and prosperity to the family.\n\nTihar is considered a culturally essential festival in Nepal as it preserves Nepalese traditional beliefs, recognizing not just the importance of human prosperity but also the significance of animals in the life of Nepalese cultural heritage.\n\nPhoto : Tihar © Anil GandharbaYear2017NationNepal
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Mithila Art of NepalVibrant colors, deception of animals, plants, and everyday life of people to the mythological narratives are the features of Mithila art. But the most important aspect of about this art is that women strictly have a monopoly over it. So this is the reason, we can see many everyday activities—washing, cooking, fetching water, combing hair, singing in choirs in groups—featured in this art. Mithila art also features Hindu gods and goddess; mythological events along with the animals, birds and plants.\n\nThe Mithila art got its name form namesake Kingdom Mithila also known as Videha Kingdom. The ancient kingdom of Videha extended form the region, which is now in North Bihar in India and eastern Terai of Nepal. In Nepal present day Janakpur city in is considered to be the seat of ancient Kingdom. The most famous king of this kingdom was Janak. He had daughter named Sita, who then got married to prince Ram of Ayodhaya, India. Ram and Sita are the pivotal character of Hindu mythology Ramayan. The marriage of Ram and Sita are also explicitly featured in Mithila art too. The people living in Mithila region are known as Mithil.\n\nMithila art had the humble origin. Mithili women used to decorate the walls of their mud houses with everyday characters and vibrant colors, mostly red, yellow, orange, blue, and black. The colors are made from the local clay, plants root, flowers, berries, etc. Due to its natural elements these paintings were temporary, stayed on walls for few months. Traditionally the paintings were done with raw cotton or lint wrapped in bamboo splint. Also women painted the walls regularly according to the seasonal festivals. According to the festivals the picture depicted also changes. Also due to the natural erosion, the decorations on walls need to be done regularly. So the young girls also get an opportunity to learn from their mothers, neighbors, and the elderly through decorating their houses, watching them and painting with them.\n\nMithila art also plays a pivotal role in weddings. Walls of brides’ homes are painted with various motifs, with each subject have special meaning, such as fish for fertility and good luck, parrot for love and many other with specific meanings. The rituals and festivals, which are being performed, the walls are painted accordingly which symbolizes the functions. Now Mithila art has exceeded walls of houses and courtyards boundaries of Mithila region. The art, which was a medium for the expression of women creativity, feelings and everyday life, is now an identity of Janakpur and whole Mithila region.\n\nThe introduction of Nepali handmade lokhta paper (made from the fibrous inner bark of the Daphne bholua shrub) in 1970s to Mithila art helped to transcend from walls to papers then to cups, mugs, t-shirts and now everywhere. Now it’s not just ordinary art but also has become livelihood of many women. Cups, mugs, plate, boxes, bags and many more; brightly painted in Mithila art could be bought for daily use.\n\nMithila art not only jumped the walls of the courtyards to everyday usable objects but had also brought changes in the objects that are drawn. In addition to the plants, animals and humans, the inclusion of the modern objects could also be seen in Mithila art as in the picture which depicts latest pandemic and deforestation. Although Mithila art is now known outside the Mithila region and even abroad, the traditional art in walls are decreasing. People’s choice of building cemented houses are losing its traditional wall paintings. Though for the tourism promotion purpose even the cemented walls in that region started see Mithila arts over the cemented walls.\n\nNOTE: The author thanks Ajit Shrivastay for the valuable information provided.\n\nPhoto 1 : Mithila Art 1 by Ganesh Shah (Deforestation and Covid19 depicted in Mithila art ) © Monalisa Maharjan\nPhoto 2 : Mithila Art 2 by Rita Kumari NayaYear2020NationNepal
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“Tết Trung thu” – an element contains traditional intangible cultural valuesWhen the festive activities of Lunar July ends, it is the beginning of “Tết Trung thu” (or “the Mid-Autumn festival”). It usually falls out on the 15th day of Lunar August when the weather turns a little cooler after the unpleasantly hot summer. In Vietnam, this event has many humanistic meanings such as: regarding as “family union holiday”, thanksgiving to the nature Gods for the harvest and growth of life, praying to ask the blessings for families and relatives. As time went by, it is known as the Children’s festival because of its pureness and closeness to the natural world. Moreover, watching the moon’s color on that day can predict the harvest as well as the national destiny: namely, the successful silk-making season (golden moon), natural disasters (blue moon), peaceful country (orange moon).\n\nAlthough the origin of “Tết Trung thu” is not really clear, Vietnamese people still practice it as an intangible cultural heritage (ICH) belonging to ancient wet-rice civilization. There have been several folktales about it: the story of Hằng Nga (Moon Lady), the legend about the woodcutter named Cuội, the tale of the king went to visit the moon, ect. And the oral tradition of Cuội was the most popular story and it reflects the Vietnamese folk identity. It is said that Cuội’s absent-minded wife poured dirty water on a magic tree which caused it to fly towards the moon. He failed to pull the tree back and stuck with it on the moon. Therefore, children often carry colorful lanterns on the full moon night of Lunar August to help him find the way back to Earth.\n\nVietnamese people spend whole a month preparing for the celebration. Some outstanding customs indispensable on the brightest moon night include:\n\n– Worshiping the natural Gods: This practice demonstrates knowledge concerning nature and the universe of indigenous people. The mid-autumn day is the occasion to show their respect to the natural Gods and ancestors. Besides, the worshiping tray with five kind of fruits (representing the universe’s five elements), moon-cakes with many unique shapes including two main types: “bánh dẻo” (symbol of reunion) and “bánh nướng” (meaning of life’s taste), toys which expressed the desire for a good harvest year, a happy and reunited family.\n\n– Enjoying traditional mid-autumn specialities: After the full moon rises, when the Gods and ancestors have received the devotion of living people, it will be time for everyone to enjoy the fruits and cakes together. It can be said that gathering in the moonlight is a traditional practice and also a rare time of year for everybody to gather and show the connection between family members.\n\n– Carrying lanterns: For Vietnamese children, the traditional lantern is the most meaningful gift to parade in the Mid-Autumn festival. The making lantern is considered as one of the famous traditional craftsmanship of agricultural residents as well. Traditional lanterns are made from bamboo and cellophane, going through many stages. There are many lantern shapes designed with folk symbolic meanings: the star lantern shows the purity of children, the rabbit lantern represents the moon, the toad lantern describes a desire about favorable weather for crops, the carp lantern stand for wishing peace and prosperity, ect.\n\n– Performing the unicorn dance: This performance art originated from the folk legend about the unicorn. Legendarily, unicorn was very aggressive and often caused trouble for human. Then “ông Địa” (the character incarnated by Maitreya Buddha) appeared and tamed it into a sacred animal to bless everyone in annual Mid-Autumn festival. Hence, the simulation of “ông Địa” hanging out with his unicorn among the children’s lantern lights is an unforgettable image in this festival.\n\nIn general, “Tết Trung thu” in Vietnam retains positive traditional elements in the modern time. It still has attracted the younger generation and directed them to the values of truth – goodness – beauty which are inherent to the festival. As an element that covers most of the specific domains of ICH, Vietnam’s Mid-Autumn festival has its own identity despite the great impact of globalization in its culture and the recent transformation of customs.\n\nPhoto : The worshiping tray with an identity of agricultural residents © Hoang The PhucYear2019NationViet Nam
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Neighbourhood Sketches: Bringing ICH onto the StreetsKampong Gelam is an historical precinct that was originally conceived by Sir. Stamford Raffles to be a settlement area for the Malay, Arab, and Bugis communities in Singapore. In 1989, the core area of Kampong Gelam was gazetted for conservation by the Urban Redevelopment Authority. Today, the historical precinct continues to retain a strong Malay and Muslim identity with both traditional and modern trades attracting locals and foreign tourists alike.\n\nLocated at the heart of Kampong Gelam is the Malay Heritage Centre, a heritage institution managed by the National Heritage Board. The center serves as a showcase of Malay heritage and culture in Singapore, as a focal point for the Malay community in Singapore and a place-maker for the historical precinct. It also presents exhibitions and programs that showcase the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) of the various sub-communities within the wider Malay community.\n\nIn 2011, the Malay Heritage Centre conceptualized and introduced its signature program known as Neighbourhood Sketches. Neighbourhood Sketches is a series of regular outdoor performances held within Kampong Gelam. The program brings the rich and diverse ICH art forms of the Malay community closer to the public through regular street performances outside the walls of the center.\n\nSince the introduction of the program in 2011, the Malay Heritage Centre has presented a total of 126 performances that have attracted more than 23,000 participants. The different types of ICH art forms showcased in these performances included Wayang Kulit (shadow puppet theater), Dondang Sayang (performance involving the exchange of Malay quatrains set to music), Angklung (ensemble performance using instruments made from bamboo), Gamelan Melayu (ensemble performance using predominantly percussive instruments), Dikir Barat (Malay choral singing), Silat (Malay martial arts), and Kuda-Kepang (Javanese horse dance).\n\nWhen curating performances for Neighbourhood Sketches, the Malay Heritage Centre makes a conscious effort to showcase a broad range of ICH art forms practiced by and associated with the Malay community. In addition to staging performances, the center ensures that key characteristics of each art form are shared with the audience during every performance and, where applicable, interactive segments involving audience participation are also included.\n\nIn addition, the Malay Heritage Centre records performances staged as part of Neighbourhood Sketches as a means of documenting the ICH art forms presented. The centre also leverages on technology to promote the performances to raise public awareness and uses social media platforms such as Facebook Live to broadcast these performances so that they are able to reach out to a wider audience.\n\nThus far, Neighbourhood Sketches has received an overwhelmingly positive response, and the majority of the audience members surveyed requested more performances as well as certain other ICH art forms to be presented. In addition, 95 percent of the audience members agreed that watching the performances contributed to a better understanding and appreciation of Malay arts, culture, and heritage.\n\nIt is worth noting that the ICH practitioners who participated in Neighbourhood Sketches have also enjoyed being part of the program. In fact, many of these ICH practitioners were grateful for the opportunity to showcase their craft to a wider audience and informed the Malay Heritage Centre that they felt a stronger sense of pride as ICH bearers after participating.\n\nBesides showcasing the cultural expressions, practices, and art forms of the Malay community, the performances of Neighbourhood Sketches also serve to educate and entertain visitors to Kampong Gelam. In doing so, they contribute to the overall cultural vibrancy of the historical precinct by activating its streets by presenting performances that are engaging and reflective and respectful of the precinct’s identity, culture, and heritage.\n\nPhoto : Wayang Wong (traditional Javanese theatre) performance by Kesenian Tedja Timur in the historical Kampong Gelam precinct. ⓒ Malay Heritage CentreYear2019NationSingapore
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The Angono’s Higantes Festival for San ClementeHigantes Festival is celebrated every 22 and 23 November in the city of Angono, Province of Rizal in the Philippines to honor San Clemente, the patron saint of fishermen. The festival features a parade of hundreds of higantes, papier-mâché giants. Higantes are puppets rendered as man or woman in various costumes; their face gives a commanding look, their hands on the waist. The festival’s origin can be traced back to the period of Spanish colonial rule when, as Angono was a ruled hacienda, celebrations were prohibited, except for one festival per year. The Angonos (people of Angono) used the festival as an opportunity to mock hacienda owners by making papier-mâché caricatures—an art they learned from Spanish friars.\n\nIn the present time, the Angonos build higantes to represent each barangay (smallest administrative division in the Philippines; village) for the festival’s parade. Accordingly a higante with a duck-shaped heard, for example, represents a barangay famous for fried duck and balut (boiled duck embryo eaten from its shell). The number of higantes has increased to hundreds over time, with more and more artists making higantes in various sizes and shapes. Seminars or workshops on higante-making thru government support have also contributed to keeping the festival alive.\n\nIt takes about a month to make no less than three-meter-tall higante. A higante’s head, the hardest part taking a week to create, is made up of newspaper strips while its body is made up of bamboo or rattan strips to carry it easily for hours. The handle’s height is adjusted to see its legs when it is raised by 30 cm from the ground.\n\nIn a tradition called basaan, people sprinkle water on the parade or each other for blessing. People believe that water symbolizes San Clemente, the patron saint of fishermen, which is why they shout for water on themselves. The parade also includes a band and a group of young girls called parehadores. Suited in colorful costumes, parehadores hold a sagwan (wooden boat paddle), wearing wooden slippers; such items are symbols of San Clemente devotees. The girls march together with the band, shouting “Viva San Clemente!” The band plays music, following the girls. With multiple parade teams competing with each other, Higantes Festival has become one of the most famous festivals enjoyed by people of all ages in the Philippines.\n\nphoto: unesco logo ⓒ unescoYear2017NationPhilippines
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The Role of Traditional Houses in Timor-Leste: Safeguarding ICH ElementsTraditional houses (uma-lulik in the local language) are considered cultural centers and roots for Timorese people and a symbol of national identity that defines who we are. These houses are also considered sacred by the local community and places for generations of families to gather and communicate with their ancestors. Ritual ceremonies, which consist of ICH elements, are associated with uma-lulik. The traditional houses are known as a main pillar in regard to social interaction, with each individual integrated into the sacred houses since birth.\n\nTimor-Leste’s traditional houses play an important role that embraces various ICH elements, for instance sau-batar (corn harvesting, a ritual celebration usually conducted every six months) and finadu (soul day, a ritual celebrating death, which is usually held on 2 November every year). Two perspectives can be used to describe aspects of the uma-lulik: first, as a material construction, usually recognized as tangible heritage. If we are specifically looking into a piece of material/tangible heritage itself, it’s the same as other traditional houses around the world—that is to say, the overall physical shaping with local materials such as timber, bamboo, rope, and grasses. However, from another perspective, if we look into the intangible cultural elements associated with uma-lulik, then we can see that the traditional houses of Timor-Leste are totally different from others. Usually, constructing a uma-lulik takes a long time due to the various ritual ceremonies that are conducted at every stage of the build.\n\nCauses of Uma-Lulik Endangerment\nThe existence of traditional houses has been endangered due to conflict and the negative effects of globalization and human interference. The current economic expansion and infrastructure development displace local communities, who maintain cultural value. As a new country in Southeast Asia, Timor-Leste is currently facing huge challenges, and most traditional houses have been destroyed and abandoned by local communities.\n\nThe long process of conflict has had effects on the cultural heritage value, specifically of traditional houses themselves. Many uma-lulik were destroyed and abandoned during the Indonesian occupation (1975–1999). The existence of the uma-lulik was dramatically reduced due to most people being classed as suspect and ritual ceremonies being prohibited by the Indonesian military. In 1999, many traditional houses were destroyed during the final period of Indonesian occupation. The long-running background of conflict also includes the Japanese attacks between 1942 and 1945 and the Portuguese colonialism period for almost five centuries (1512–1975). The overall stages of occupation and turmoil has put Timor-Leste’s traditional houses at risk.\n\nSafeguarding Local Knowledge\nTransmitting local knowledge (the construction technique) should be considered a priority and must be safeguarded before it is lost (the Lia-Na’in are the oldest community leading ritual ceremonies). Local knowledge is a crucial indicator, meaning that people are vital resources and significant actors. The Lia-Na’in have high competence related to cultural decision making, including the overall house construction process.\n\nIt is important for the main ICH elements and concepts to be transmitted for future generations to safeguard traditional houses will have a positive impact in maintaining other ICH elements such as sau-batar and finadu. This could be achieved through networking cooperation to enhance advocacy, documentation, and research.\n\nPhoto : The formation of traditional houses in the Atu-Aben Clan, Bobonaro Municipality, Timor-Leste. Site abandoned by the local community. ⓒ Abraão Mendonça, Timor-Leste National Commission for UNESCOYear2019NationTimor