National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea People in Bukcheong, Hamgyeongnam-do (in North Korea) engaged in a folk play, wearing lion masks on the night of the full moon of January 15 on the lunar calendar thinking that a lion, a powerful animal, could drive away evil spirits for them. Lion-masked people from neighboring villages gathered together and competed with one another. Since the team from Toseong-ri, Cheonghae-myeon, Bukcheong-gun did better than the others, the play gradually disappeared in the other villages. The mask play had come to secure its rightful place among Koreans since the Three Kingdoms Period. Those from the North continued to play it, mostly in Seoul. The mask play was started with young people carrying torches on the night of January 14 and was continued until the daybreak of the following morning. On January 16, they would pay visits to the houses of well-to-do people as prearranged. Upon entering the property, they would go around the courtyard in a line and start dancing. Then, a lion-masked person would join them. The “lion” would go into the inner room and the kitchen and make a gesture of eating someone alive. Then, the lion would return to the courtyard and engage in a lively dance. The lion would make a big bow to the deities kept in the house as requested by the owner of the house. When the lion would pretend to fall down exhausted, people would call an eminent monk to energize it by reciting a phrase of Buddhist scripture or have an herbal doctor apply acupuncture. Upon regaining strength, the lion would dance again with all the others. Participants included those acting as yangban (noblemen), a freakishly tall person, a humpback, a petty local government official, a dancing boy, a dancing woman, a monk, an herbal doctor, a scholar, etc. The dancing boy, the dancing woman, the monk, the herbal doctor, and the scholar appeared without wearing a mask. The musical instruments used were tungso (six-holed vertical bamboo flute), buk (drum), jing (large gongs), and janggo (hourglass-shaped drum). A mask dance performed in Bukcheong often uses tungso as a main instrument while samhyeon yukgak (three strings and six wind instruments) is used in Gyeonggi-do and kkwaenggwari (small gong) in Gyeongsang-do. The owners of the house would have their children ride on the back of the lion based on the belief that it would make them live longer. Money or grains donated by the houses visited by the troupe were used as scholarship fund for children from needy families and to subsidize expenses for senior citizen associations and cover the expenses for the lion play. Bukcheong Saja Noreum is focused on merrymaking, featuring movements more powerful than other lion dances.

National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea Nakjukjang refers to bamboo pyrography or artisan with such skill. During the reign of King Sunjo (r. 1800-1834), Park Chang-gyu engaged in the practice, and it was maintained until the colonial period. The practice requires lots of experience and speed. Applications of bamboo pyrography are arrow shafts, acupuncture needle cases, sword handles, folding screens, tobacco pipes, handheld folding fans (particularly thick bamboo pieces forming the first and last sticks), pencil cases, etc. Shapes of butterflies are often used in handheld folding fans, with shapes of bats sometimes used as well. The demand for objects containing bamboo pyrography has decreased noticeably. The skill has been designated as important intangible cultural heritage for protection.

Traditional medicine is the collective name of methods claiming the ability to treat (or prevent) diseases whose effectiveness and safety have not been proven by a scientific method. Typical examples are homeopathy, acupuncture and naturopathy. Despite prevalence of contemporary medicine in Uzbekistan, it is possible to observe the existence of traditional (folk) healing practice as well. Folk healers conditionally can be divided into the following types: • Folk healers who heal their patients manually (who do manual therapy) • Folk healers who heal their patients with a help of words and songs (psychotherapy) • Folk healers who heal with a help of drugs (treatment by using natural drugs).

Acupuncture and moxibustion of TCM(traditional Chinese medicine) is a traditional knowledge and practice for regulating the body’s balance and maintaining health. It is based on the holistic concept of the ‘unity between man and nature’. Under the guidance of the theories of the channels and acupuncture points, its practice involves the insertion of needles into points or the burning of moxa to warm the superficial part of the body. The holistic concept of the ‘unity between man and nature’ views the living individual as a component part of the universe, and explains life activities with the theory of yin and yang. It holds that the occurrence of disease is due to either an imbalance of yin and yang within the body, or an imbalance of yin and yang between the human body and universe. The theories of acupuncture and moxibustion hold that the human body is a small universe, each part of which is connected by channels. Through long-term practice, points on the channels have been discovered, gradually developing into a systematized theory, of which the 12 channels correspond to the 12 months, and 365 acupuncture points to the 365 days of the year. Palpation on the three portions of the body (upper, middle and lower) and three needling depths (superficial, moderate and deep) are associated respectively with heaven, man and earth. The principle of selecting points on the lower body for diseases in the upper, or of selecting points on the right for diseases on the left reflects clearly this TCM holistic view of seeing the human body as an integral whole. The practice of acupuncture and moxibustion includes two treatment modalities: acupuncture and moxibustion. In acupuncture, needles are properly selected according to the individual conditions and used to puncture and stimulate the chosen points to dredge the channels with “lifting”, “thrusting”, “twirling” and “rotating” methods, or with comprehensive needling techniques, for both prevention and treatment of disease. Nine needles of different shapes and dozens of different needling techniques were recorded in Zhen Jing (Classic of Acupuncture, 针经) in the 2nd to 3rd century B.C. Needles were mainly made of special stones, or metals (such as bronze, iron, gold and silver). Modern needles are mostly made of stainless steel. Moxibustion is usually divided into direct and indirect moxibustion, in which either moxa cones are placed directly on points or moxa sticks are held and kept at some distance from the body surface to warm the points so as to adjust the yin and yang of the body and restore balance. Moxa cones and sticks are made of moxa wool processed from moxa leaves which have been dried up and ground into wool. They are inflammable with an even warmth and burn for a long period of time. Artemisiae, the raw material of moxa, is an aromatic plant. It grows widely in China, and has been extensively used in moxibustion because since ancient times the Chinese have believed that it can dispel pathogenic factors. Acupuncture and moxibustion has been re-created in response to its environment and interactions with nature and history. Therefore, characteristics of regional, group or individual schools have been formed. The “three-step needling techniques” improved upon by Cheng Xinnong (1921-) and the “three-free-flow needling techniques” summarized by He Puren (1926-) have brought a far-reaching influence on promotion of the continuing existence of this tradition. A great deal of common sayings, such as “Hegu (LI4) is used for diseases of the face and mouth, Weizhong (BL40) for the back and lumbus” and "without knowledge of the channels, mistakes when needling are inevitable”, objectively explains that acupuncture and moxibustion manifests itself in the culture integrated highly by knowledge coupled with practice. Therefore, to be an identified tradition bearer demands long-term accumulation of knowledge and practical experience. Acupuncture and moxibustion has been transmitted through teaching by personal examples as well as verbal instruction in inherited lineages formed by master-disciple relations or members of a clan. These tradition bearers are identified by their reverence for Huang Di and Fu Xi (two founders of acupuncture and moxibustion). The bronze figure of acupuncture points cast in 1026 (Song Dynasty), Zhen Jiu Jia Yi Jing (Systematic Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, 针灸甲乙经) compiled in 259, Zhen Jiu Da Cheng (The Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, 针灸大成) written in 1601 and other works, are a testimony to the inheritance and development of this tradition, which have served as important reference materials in the study of acupuncture and moxibustion, and have been playing a significant role in their viability and re-creation. Among the Chinese, there are sayings such as “one needle and a bundle of herbs keeps you healthy into your old age” and “hanging moxa leaves in front of your house gate on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month keeps the doctor away all year round”. This shows in all aspects that acupuncture and moxibustion has produced a great impact on people’s lives and reflects its relevant visibility and awareness. Acupuncture and moxibustion, an embodiment of the wisdom of the Chinese nation and a reflection of the uniqueness of Chinese culture, has been playing an important role in promoting people’s healthcare with its steady rate of development and systematized theories inherited in history.

China 2010