Hat boi Folk Opera in Binh Dinh Province, listed in the National ICH List in 2014 \nThe Art of Tuong in Quang Nam, listed in the National ICH List in 2015 \nTuong is a traditional classical play based on Vietnamese folk songs, dances, and music, and is also called hat bo, or hat boi. The central themes of Tuong include individual sacrifice for a greater cause, imparting lessons about human behavior, and featuring heroic characters. These themes are portrayed aesthetically throughout the performances. It was performed as entertainment for the king and his \nmen at royal banquets or court ceremonies. Today, state-run theater groups perform in established theaters, and folk theater groups perform for village communities during festivals. In Tuong, the face of each character is painted carefully before the performance. The colors used are mainly white, red, blue or green, and black. The colors and patterns used on the faces have symbolic meanings and representations: a white face symbolizes gentleness and quietness; red stands for wisdom, courage, and staunchness; a striped face signifies an ugly person with a hot temper. Decorating the corners of the nose with a cloud-shaped line is necessary for the role of a king.\n\nMiniature statue of tướng male character Tạ Ôn Đình\nTướng motif\nTướng motif is the character type that inherit some traits on manners, actions, and choreography of kép that is brawny in type: Assertive, swift, powerful singing-dialogues delivery.\nHowever, the significant detail to pay attention to is their makeup being made as mask-like, which they are diverse with various stylised expressions. Depends on their role in the play,\nwe have protagonist tướng (the tướng that belongs in the good side and loyal) such as Trịnh Ân, Hoàng Phi Hổ, etc; and villain tướng (the tướng that are evil and vindictive), Ô Lợi Hắc.\nThe motif can also be deeper understood in its level 2 of formation- major tướng and minor tướng. Major tướng includes the traits that are mentioned above,\nwith social standing and hold a crucial role in the plot. Minor tướng, on the contrary, are characters that don't hold crucial position in the script like Châu Thương,) Tiết Quỳ, etc.\n\nMiniature statue of đào female character Phàn Phụng Cơ\nĐào văn\nIntellectual đào: Has the general traits of đào motif, elegant and graceful manners; innocent singing and dialogues. In which there is “royal đào" being the type of character that participates in official royal affairs. Example: Tạ Nguyệt Kiều. And then “simple đào/hairpin đào” is a peasant character type, or the character that has a prestige origin but fallen into peasantry; she wouldn't have any fancy headwear but only a simple hair pin. Example: Điều Huê Nữ.\n\nMiniature statue of lão elderly male character Vương Doãn\n“Lão” is a term to describe male characters (kép) that are elderly. With their brows and hair are white and gray; unhurried in movements; and a raspy singing-dialogue delivery. Additionally, there are also different techniques to portray their raspy voice delivery that can be categorised as follow:\nINTELLECTUAL LÃO\nInclude full characteristics of lão motif: white face, gray beard with three/five long smooth branches; educated and sophisticated.\nExample: Vương Doãn (the play “Phụng Nghi pavillon”); Kiều Quốc cựu (the play “The Beauty from Giang Đông region”); etc.\n\nMiniature statue of mụ female character Đồng Mẫu\nMỤ MOTIF\n“Mụ” is the type of female character (đào) that is elderly, their makeup tends to be light, with white eyebrows, silver hair, slow in movement; raspy singing-dialogues delivery. The majority of mụ motif are intellectual type, with a gentle and considerate manner. Example: Đổng mẫu (the play “San Hậu”); Dương linh bà (the play “Mộc Quế Anh offers the wood”) despite her origin as a fiery general but often expressed as a prestige and sophisticated woman.\n\nMiniature statue of tướng male character Đổng Trác\nĐổng Trác is a villain, portraited in nịnh motif. \n\nMiniature statue of kép male character Lữ Bố\n“Kép” is a term to describe male characters. Their appearances tend to be young or middle aged male, with a light makeup face (using beard to distinguish). This is a simple makeup style, reserved for characters that are handsome, or ordinary; they tend to be the psychological character that doesn’t need dramatic makeup to express their personality. Following the kép motif is the type of singing technique- with graceful and sophisticated dialogues. The common characters from kép motif (or can be called “kép in white”) are Tiết Đinh San, Tiết Ứng Luông (the play “The Goddess that offers Ngũ Linh flag”) Bá Ấp Khảo (the play “Bá Ấp Khảo”); etc.\n\nMiniature statue of đào female character Chung Vô Diệm\nĐÀO motif\n“Đào" is a term to describe female characters. Their appearances tend to be young or middle-aged females, where their makeup tends to be light and their presences are elegant, with innocent singing-dialogue delivery. In đào motif, only the character Chung Vô Diệm, Đào Tam Xuân, and Ngọc Kỳ Lân have their makeup as mask-like, the rest of them all have light makeup face. \nĐào võ\nBrawny đào: Possess full traits of đào motif, however she is assertive and stern; powerful singing-dialogue delivery. Example: Thần Nữ; Đoàn Hồng Ngọc; etc. Additionally, the mentioned characters that have mask-like makeup (Chung Vô Diệm, Đào Tam Xuân, Ngọc Kỳ Lân) are a part of brawny đào motif. They are portrayed in a dramatic style to reflect their strong personality and extraordinary talent.\n\nMiniature statue of kép male character Phàn Diệm\nKÉP WITH ANGRY EYES\nIs a kép motif that has more than just the general traits, but also a more extravagant styling in costuming. They have a red face makeup base; with a white eyes and dramatic eyebrows that are high up to the temple. This dramatic appearance only reflects their extraordinary characters for a teenage boy. Namely characters like Phàn Diệm (the play “San Hậu”); or the character Trịnh n (the play “Sentencing Trịnh n”) that is also a part of kép with angry eyes, but he would have a face makeup colour base in ashy gray or black. This genre of kép with angry eyes, or can be called as “young kép” is often paired with an older character (could be their father- like the characters Phàn Định Công, Trịnh n), their extraordinary appearance foreshadowing the talents that would emerge once they are matured.\n\nMiniature statue of kép male character Đổng Kim Lân\nKÉP IN RED\nIs a character motif that is based on the characteristics of kép motif (kép in white), however, the base makeup colour of the character tends to be in bright red or reddish pink. This is the character type that is loyal and determined in hát bội aesthetic. Example: Quan Vũ (the play “Battle at Phàn fortress”); Đổng Kim Lân (the play “San Hậu”); Cao Hoài Đức (the play “Sentencing Trịnh Ân”), etc.\n\nMiniature statue of yêu đạo turtle master character Dư Hồng\nYêu đạo motif\nSimilar like tướng motif, yêu đạo motif has a distinctive dramatic element of hát bội. However, yêu đạo tends to be portrayed as villain characters, in which they possess opposite traits from the protagonist, power abuser, with a sense of justice according to feudal law. Moreover, these characters tend to start off with non-human origins, they’ve honed their magical ability to become human so it made their manners appear animalistic. The character makeups are also suggestive of the manners and symbolism of their background. Examples such as Dư Hồng is originally a red bird that trained itself into human form so the eye makeup mimics a bird motif, with a red face makeup base. The design of yêu đạo/ turtle master tends to use weirdly big eyes to express an eerie manner, big tummy to indicate magic (or it could be called bụng phép), with costume similar to the Taoist monks.\n\nMiniature statue of lão elderly male character Phàn Định Công\nBRAWNY LÃO\nIn appearance, they also shared similarities like the lão motif. If there’s a difference, then it’d be their face makeup base coloured in red. The difference between intellectual lão and brawny lão- their performance manners. Brawny lão would have more decisive and assertive movements, and a more powerful singing-dialogue delivery.\nSAGGY LÃO\nSimilar to kép with angry eyes motif in kép motif, saggy lão motif is a lão motif that exceeds the usual characteristics and is portrayed in a dramatic styling. With a red face, a white under eye that extends to the cheeks, white beard; hot-headed and decisive. Example: Phàn Định Công (the play “San Hậu”); Trình Giảo Kim (the play “Phàn Lê Huê conquer the Hồng Thủy battle”); etc.\n\nMiniature statue of kép male character Khương Linh Tá\nKÉP IN GREEN / FOREST KÉP / MOUNTAIN KÉP\nTheir face makeup tends to be in faded gray or green; with high eyes and brows (depends on the traditional character design of the region and the troup). This character type tends to have a peasantry manner, down-to-earth, with the colour palette of faded gray and green to indicate a humbling origin as a farming man. Example: Khương Linh Tá (the play “San Hậu”); Châu Sáng (the play “Losing Nam Dương fortress”); etc.\n\nMiniature statue of nịnh male character Tạ Lôi Nhược\nThe motif can also be deeper understood in its level 2 of formation- major tướng and minor tướng. Major tướng includes the traits that are mentioned above, with social standing and hold a crucial role in the plot. Minor tướng, on the contrary, are characters that don’t hold crucial position in the script like Châu Thương (the play “Battle at Phàn fortress”) Tiết Quỳ (The play “Tiết Giao steals the pearl”), etc.\nTạ Lôi Nhược is a minor tướng character, in combination of feeble nịnh character.

Hat boi Folk Opera in Binh Dinh Province, listed in the National ICH List in 2014 \nThe Art of Tuong in Quang Nam, listed in the National ICH List in 2015 \nTuong is a traditional classical play based on Vietnamese folk songs, dances, and music, and is also called hat bo, or hat boi. The central themes of Tuong include individual sacrifice for a greater cause, imparting lessons about human behavior, and featuring heroic characters. These themes are portrayed aesthetically throughout the performances. It was performed as entertainment for the king and his \nmen at royal banquets or court ceremonies. Today, state-run theater groups perform in established theaters, and folk theater groups perform for village communities during festivals. In Tuong, the face of each character is painted carefully before the performance. The colors used are mainly white, red, blue or green, and black. The colors and patterns used on the faces have symbolic meanings and representations: a white face symbolizes gentleness and quietness; red stands for wisdom, courage, and staunchness; a striped face signifies an ugly person with a hot temper. Decorating the corners of the nose with a cloud-shaped line is necessary for the role of a king.\n\nMiniature statue of tướng male character Tạ Ôn Đình\nTướng motif\nTướng motif is the character type that inherit some traits on manners, actions, and choreography of kép that is brawny in type: Assertive, swift, powerful singing-dialogues delivery.\nHowever, the significant detail to pay attention to is their makeup being made as mask-like, which they are diverse with various stylised expressions. Depends on their role in the play,\nwe have protagonist tướng (the tướng that belongs in the good side and loyal) such as Trịnh Ân, Hoàng Phi Hổ, etc; and villain tướng (the tướng that are evil and vindictive), Ô Lợi Hắc.\nThe motif can also be deeper understood in its level 2 of formation- major tướng and minor tướng. Major tướng includes the traits that are mentioned above,\nwith social standing and hold a crucial role in the plot. Minor tướng, on the contrary, are characters that don't hold crucial position in the script like Châu Thương,) Tiết Quỳ, etc.\n\nMiniature statue of đào female character Phàn Phụng Cơ\nĐào văn\nIntellectual đào: Has the general traits of đào motif, elegant and graceful manners; innocent singing and dialogues. In which there is “royal đào" being the type of character that participates in official royal affairs. Example: Tạ Nguyệt Kiều. And then “simple đào/hairpin đào” is a peasant character type, or the character that has a prestige origin but fallen into peasantry; she wouldn't have any fancy headwear but only a simple hair pin. Example: Điều Huê Nữ.\n\nMiniature statue of lão elderly male character Vương Doãn\n“Lão” is a term to describe male characters (kép) that are elderly. With their brows and hair are white and gray; unhurried in movements; and a raspy singing-dialogue delivery. Additionally, there are also different techniques to portray their raspy voice delivery that can be categorised as follow:\nINTELLECTUAL LÃO\nInclude full characteristics of lão motif: white face, gray beard with three/five long smooth branches; educated and sophisticated.\nExample: Vương Doãn (the play “Phụng Nghi pavillon”); Kiều Quốc cựu (the play “The Beauty from Giang Đông region”); etc.\n\nMiniature statue of mụ female character Đồng Mẫu\nMỤ MOTIF\n“Mụ” is the type of female character (đào) that is elderly, their makeup tends to be light, with white eyebrows, silver hair, slow in movement; raspy singing-dialogues delivery. The majority of mụ motif are intellectual type, with a gentle and considerate manner. Example: Đổng mẫu (the play “San Hậu”); Dương linh bà (the play “Mộc Quế Anh offers the wood”) despite her origin as a fiery general but often expressed as a prestige and sophisticated woman.\n\nMiniature statue of tướng male character Đổng Trác\nĐổng Trác is a villain, portraited in nịnh motif. \n\nMiniature statue of kép male character Lữ Bố\n“Kép” is a term to describe male characters. Their appearances tend to be young or middle aged male, with a light makeup face (using beard to distinguish). This is a simple makeup style, reserved for characters that are handsome, or ordinary; they tend to be the psychological character that doesn’t need dramatic makeup to express their personality. Following the kép motif is the type of singing technique- with graceful and sophisticated dialogues. The common characters from kép motif (or can be called “kép in white”) are Tiết Đinh San, Tiết Ứng Luông (the play “The Goddess that offers Ngũ Linh flag”) Bá Ấp Khảo (the play “Bá Ấp Khảo”); etc.\n\nMiniature statue of đào female character Chung Vô Diệm\nĐÀO motif\n“Đào" is a term to describe female characters. Their appearances tend to be young or middle-aged females, where their makeup tends to be light and their presences are elegant, with innocent singing-dialogue delivery. In đào motif, only the character Chung Vô Diệm, Đào Tam Xuân, and Ngọc Kỳ Lân have their makeup as mask-like, the rest of them all have light makeup face. \nĐào võ\nBrawny đào: Possess full traits of đào motif, however she is assertive and stern; powerful singing-dialogue delivery. Example: Thần Nữ; Đoàn Hồng Ngọc; etc. Additionally, the mentioned characters that have mask-like makeup (Chung Vô Diệm, Đào Tam Xuân, Ngọc Kỳ Lân) are a part of brawny đào motif. They are portrayed in a dramatic style to reflect their strong personality and extraordinary talent.\n\nMiniature statue of kép male character Phàn Diệm\nKÉP WITH ANGRY EYES\nIs a kép motif that has more than just the general traits, but also a more extravagant styling in costuming. They have a red face makeup base; with a white eyes and dramatic eyebrows that are high up to the temple. This dramatic appearance only reflects their extraordinary characters for a teenage boy. Namely characters like Phàn Diệm (the play “San Hậu”); or the character Trịnh n (the play “Sentencing Trịnh n”) that is also a part of kép with angry eyes, but he would have a face makeup colour base in ashy gray or black. This genre of kép with angry eyes, or can be called as “young kép” is often paired with an older character (could be their father- like the characters Phàn Định Công, Trịnh n), their extraordinary appearance foreshadowing the talents that would emerge once they are matured.\n\nMiniature statue of kép male character Đổng Kim Lân\nKÉP IN RED\nIs a character motif that is based on the characteristics of kép motif (kép in white), however, the base makeup colour of the character tends to be in bright red or reddish pink. This is the character type that is loyal and determined in hát bội aesthetic. Example: Quan Vũ (the play “Battle at Phàn fortress”); Đổng Kim Lân (the play “San Hậu”); Cao Hoài Đức (the play “Sentencing Trịnh Ân”), etc.\n\nMiniature statue of yêu đạo turtle master character Dư Hồng\nYêu đạo motif\nSimilar like tướng motif, yêu đạo motif has a distinctive dramatic element of hát bội. However, yêu đạo tends to be portrayed as villain characters, in which they possess opposite traits from the protagonist, power abuser, with a sense of justice according to feudal law. Moreover, these characters tend to start off with non-human origins, they’ve honed their magical ability to become human so it made their manners appear animalistic. The character makeups are also suggestive of the manners and symbolism of their background. Examples such as Dư Hồng is originally a red bird that trained itself into human form so the eye makeup mimics a bird motif, with a red face makeup base. The design of yêu đạo/ turtle master tends to use weirdly big eyes to express an eerie manner, big tummy to indicate magic (or it could be called bụng phép), with costume similar to the Taoist monks.\n\nMiniature statue of lão elderly male character Phàn Định Công\nBRAWNY LÃO\nIn appearance, they also shared similarities like the lão motif. If there’s a difference, then it’d be their face makeup base coloured in red. The difference between intellectual lão and brawny lão- their performance manners. Brawny lão would have more decisive and assertive movements, and a more powerful singing-dialogue delivery.\nSAGGY LÃO\nSimilar to kép with angry eyes motif in kép motif, saggy lão motif is a lão motif that exceeds the usual characteristics and is portrayed in a dramatic styling. With a red face, a white under eye that extends to the cheeks, white beard; hot-headed and decisive. Example: Phàn Định Công (the play “San Hậu”); Trình Giảo Kim (the play “Phàn Lê Huê conquer the Hồng Thủy battle”); etc.\n\nMiniature statue of kép male character Khương Linh Tá\nKÉP IN GREEN / FOREST KÉP / MOUNTAIN KÉP\nTheir face makeup tends to be in faded gray or green; with high eyes and brows (depends on the traditional character design of the region and the troup). This character type tends to have a peasantry manner, down-to-earth, with the colour palette of faded gray and green to indicate a humbling origin as a farming man. Example: Khương Linh Tá (the play “San Hậu”); Châu Sáng (the play “Losing Nam Dương fortress”); etc.\n\nMiniature statue of nịnh male character Tạ Lôi Nhược\nThe motif can also be deeper understood in its level 2 of formation- major tướng and minor tướng. Major tướng includes the traits that are mentioned above, with social standing and hold a crucial role in the plot. Minor tướng, on the contrary, are characters that don’t hold crucial position in the script like Châu Thương (the play “Battle at Phàn fortress”) Tiết Quỳ (The play “Tiết Giao steals the pearl”), etc.\nTạ Lôi Nhược is a minor tướng character, in combination of feeble nịnh character.

On 12 and 13 November 2020, ICHCAP and the ICH NGO Forum virtually held the 2020 ICH NGO Conference entitled “ICH and Resilience in Crisis.” The fifteen participants, including eleven selected presenters from ten countries around the world, discussed various cases and activities of each country applied under the Corona-era, and proposed solidarity for the resilience of ICH for a ‘New Normal.’\n\nSession 1: In the Vortex: COVID-19 Era, Roles of NGOs to Safeguard ICH\n\nSpecial Lecture 1: 'Resilience System Analysis' by Roberto Martinez Yllescas, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Mexico\n1. 'Uncovering the veil of immaterial cultural heritage towards and autonomous management of well-being as well as cultural and territorial preservation' by Carolina Bermúdez, Fundación Etnollano\n2. 'Holistic Development Model of Community-Based Intangible Cultural Heritage of Yuen Long District in Hong Kong of China' by Kai-kwong Choi, Life Encouraging Fund \n3. 'Indigenous Knowledge System as a vector in combating COVID-19' by Allington Ndlovu, Amagugu International Heritage Centre\n4. 'Enlivening Dyeing Tradition and ICH: The initiative of ARHI in North East of India' by Dibya Jyoti Borah, President, ARHI\n\nSession 2: Homo Ludens vs. Home Ludens: Changed Features COVID-19 Brought\n\n1. 'The Popular Reaction to COVID-19 from the Intangible Cultural Heritage among Member Cities of the ICCN' by Julio Nacher, ICCN Secretariat, Algemesi, Spain\n2. 'Innovation for Arts and Cultural Education Amid a Pandemic' by Jeff M. Poulin, Creative Generation\n3. 'Promoting Heritage Education through Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Kalasha Valleys of Pakistan' by Ghiasuddin Pir & Meeza Ubaid, THAAP\n4. 'Shifting to Online Activities: Digital Divide among the NGOs and ICH Communities in Korea' by Hanhee Hahm CICS\n\nSession 3: Consilience: Prototype vs. Archetype for Educational Source\n\nSpecial Lecture 2: 'Geographical imbalance: the challenge of getting a more balanced representation of accredited non-governmental organizations under the 2003 Convention' by Matti Hakamäki, Finnish Folk Music Institute\n1. 'Crafting a Post Covid-19 World: Building Greater Resilience in the Crafts Sector through Strengthening Ties with its Community’s Cultural System' by Joseph Lo, World Crafts Council International\n2. 'Arts and Influence: Untangling Corporate Engagement in the Cultural Sector' by Nicholas Pozek, Asian Legal Programs, Columbia University\n3. 'ICH in the South-Western Alps: Empowering Communities through Youth Education on Nature and Cultural Practices' by Alessio Re & Giulia Avanza, Santagata Foundation for the Economy of Culture\n\n

ICH Video Production in the Asia-Pacific Region : Central Asia\n\nRapid urbanization and westernization are changing the environments in which intangible cultural heritage is rooted. The importance of documentation that traces the effect of social changes on intangible cultural heritage is being emphasized as a safeguarding measure. Quality video documentation is an important resource that enables the conservation and transmission of existing intangible cultural heritage and raises its visibility.\n\nVideo documentation is the best medium to record intangible cultural heritage in the most lifelike manner, using the latest technologies. It is also an effective tool for communicating with the public. However, conditions for video production in the Asia-Pacific remain poor, requiring extensive support for quality video documentation.\n\nICHCAP has been working to build the safeguarding capabilities of Member States and raise the visibility of intangible cultural heritage in the Asia-Pacific by supporting the true-to-life documentation of intangible cultural heritage as this heritage is practiced and cooperating with experts, communities, and NGOs in related fields.\n\nSince 2010, ICHCAP has hosted annual Central Asian sub-regional network meetings with Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Mongolia to support the ICH safeguarding activities of Central Asia. Through their collaboration, ICHCAP has supported projects involving collecting ICH information, producing ICH websites, and constructing ICH video archives.\n\nAt the Sixth Central Asia Sub-regional Network Meeting in Jeonju in 2015, ICHCAP, four Central Asian countries, and Mongolia adopted a second three-year cooperation project plan on producing ICH videos to enhance the visibility of ICH in Central Asia.\n\nICHCAP developed guidelines and training programs for the project and invited video and ICH experts from the participating countries, and held a workshop in November 2015. After the workshop, focal points for the project were designated in each country, and each focal point organization formed an expert meeting and a video production team to produce ICH videos.\n\nInterim reports were submitted to ICHCAP in February 2016, and the first preview screening was held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, during the Seventh Central Asia Sub-regional Network Meeting in May 2016. Since then, each country has carried out the project according to the project plan. ICHCAP met with each country between October 2016 to February 2017 to check on the project progress.\n\nAfter the final preview screening during the Eighth Central Asia Sub-regional Network Meeting in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, in 2017, final editing process took place in each country, and fifty ICH videos were completed by October 2017.\n\nAll photos introduced on this page along with fifty ICH videos are from the exhibition 'Living Heritage: Wisdom of Life' held in the Republic of Kyrgyzstan and the Republic of Korea. Designed for introducing various ICH in the five countries, this exhibition shows photos on representative twenty elements in each country collected during the process of on-site survey and documentation for ICH Video Production Project in Central Asia by experts participated in the ICH video production project.\n\nICHCAP will continue its ICH documentation projects in the Asia-Pacific region for the next ten years by expanding the scope from Central Asia and Mongolia to Southeast Asia, Southwest Asia, and the Pacific.\n\n\nPartners\nMongolian National Commission for UNESCO • National Commission of the Kyrgyz Republic for UNESCO • National Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan for UNESCO and ISESCO • National Commission of the Republic of Uzbekistan for UNESCO • National Commission of the Republic of Tajikistan for UNESCO • Foundation for the Protection of Natural and Cultural Heritage Mongolia • National Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage under the National Commission of the Republic of Kazakhstan for UNESCO and ISESCO • School of Fine Art and Technical Design named after Abylkhan Kasteyev • State Institute of Arts and Culture of Uzbekistan • Tajik film • Tajikistan Research Institute of Culture Information • Korea Educational Broadcasting System • Asia Culture Center\n\nSupporters\nUNESCO Almaty and Tashkent Cluster Offices • Cultural Heritage Administration • Panasonic Korea • Turkish Airlines

The Alha is an oral epic from the Bundelkhand area in the state of Uttar Pradesh. However, it is popular and performed across much of Northwest India. It is a martial epic, and tells a single story. It’s the story of brothers Alha and Udal, who belong to the Banaphar family, loyal to the ruler Parmal of the Chandel dynasty. The story is told and sung over fifty-two episodes, each called a larai, which means “battle.” Some episodes are about births and weddings, but most culminate in a larai. The underlying theme is that of the Chandels fighting Prithviraj Chauhan, a legendary king of the Chauhan dynasty. Prithviraj Chauhan is a major figure in Indian folklore and there are many medieval epic poems dedicated to him. Most of the Alha larais are about the Chandels defending the kingdom of Mahoba from Prithviraj Chauhan. The Chandels are eventually defeated by Prithviraj Chauhan. However, Prithviraj Chauhan is weakened by the battles, thereby demonstrating how powerful the Chandels are. The Alha is thus not an epic of victorious heroes like many martial epics. The heroes are praisied for their loyalty and valor. The Alha is also an example of a local oral epic that is linked to the great Indian epics. Alha is often referred to as the Mahabharata of the Kaliyug, comparing the Banaphar brothers to the Pandavas. The Alha epic was translated and published as the The lay of Alha: A Saga of Rajput Chivalry as Sung by Minstrels of Northern India. It was partly translated into English ballad meter by William Waterfield in 1923. The singing of the Alha epic is based on the Alha-Khand, a body of episodes that is passed down from generation to generation. Though there are published pamphlets available in current times, most people learn from their gurus in the traditional system of oral transmission. Alha epic poets and singers belong to akharas, and singers perform only the compositions of the poets of their own akharas. The Alha epic is normally sung by a group, with one singer following another. Traditionally, Alha is performed in villages during the monsoon, when there is no work in the fields. Though there are fifty-one episodes, only one larai is performed at a time, which may last one hour or the whole night. It is performed by men for all-male audiences. In recent times, competitions or pratiyogitas have been organized by State departments and other cultural bodies. As these cannot give the same space to each group, the performances are necessarily truncated. This has also led to the use of costumes and props, and sometimes acting out of episodes. This track from the epic of Alha, is an excerpt from the beginning of an episode titled “Kiratsagar Ki Larai.” In this episode, women are carrying wheat shoots in baskets on their heads to the Kiratsagar lake in Mahoba on the full moon of the Indian month of Sawan, when Prithviraj Chauhan attacks Mahoba. The Kiratsagar ki larai is part of the collection of the Alha recorded and collected by Karine Schomer, who is known for her considerable research on the Alha.

Đing buốt is an aerophonic instruments. It is a vertical flute with reed. The flute has four pressing holes on the body and one blowing hole before the reed. From the hole before the reed to the first pressing hole on the body is a distance of one span. Đing buốt is for only the male and performed solo or to accompany singing. It can be used to play musical pieces with fast tempo and flexibly play finger techniques such as tongue, vibrating, trill, etc. Đing buốt can be played everywhere, in the field, on the road, or in love-exchanges. However, there are also strict taboos on the repertoire; for example the piece “Crying wife” is never performed on weekdays.

In the iTaukei Fijian culture, raising children is everyone’s responsibility. It is therefore everyone’s business to learn, memorize and recite the chant correctly.\nEach chant, or meke, is unique to the families, clans, and communities. Chants for children often take the form of poems that proclaim the identity of the clan and their origins.\nFor example, a chant composed for children who are from inland of the two main islands in Fiji would be different from those created for children from maritime and coastal tribes.\n\nChildren’s chants are composed to suit different stages of childhood development and their activities. Vakamoce gone, or bedtime chants, are sung to put children to sleep and would therefore be recited with a soft, soothing monotone. This is an early introduction of language to the subconscious being of a child. Meanwhile, Vakawele gone are chants sung to draw full attention of a child when they are awake, and, therefore, are performed at fast tempo with a playful tone. Vakaqito gone are chants sung to engage a child in a game. They are participatory in nature and contribute to development of child’s sensory movements and social skills.

CD3_FOLK SONGS OF NEPAL\n\nNepal is still extremely rich in folk songs, though these are less popular with younger generations. The music culture has traditionally been an oral culture passed down from guru to pupil. Many songs that have never been recorded or written down are thought to have been lost. Fortunately, several enthusiastic folklorists, musicians, singers, and researchers have made collections of folk song lyrics to promulgate them, focusing especially on the rarer and most endangered folk songs. We present here a few examples.

In 2015, ICHCAP with the National Commission of the Republic of Uzbekistan for UNESCO and the Fine Arts Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan released the CD collection Melodies from Uzbekistan as part of its cooperation project to restore and digitize analogue resources on ICH.\n\nThis selection of audio resources are aged audio recordings stored at the Fine Arts Institute of the Academy of Sciences that have been restored and converted into a format suitable for storage and playback in media used today. The audio tracks in the collection consist of folk music recorded from field research conducted in Uzbekistan and border regions from the 1950s to the 1980s as well as studio recordings made from the 1930s to the 1970s. The eight CDs contain Uzbek songs related to work, animal rearing, rituals, and other important parts of day-to-day life in the region; instrumental music featuring various traditional Uzbek musical instruments, such as the dutor and g'ajir nay; and important Islamic oral traditions, such as maqoms and dostons.\n\nAlthough the traditional music of Central Asia may be unfamiliar to listeners from other parts of the world, the CDs come with information booklets in Uzbek, English, and Korean to provide an engaging experience for people from outside the region.\nThe selection represents the diverse and rich musical traditions of Uzbekistan and will be invaluable resources in the field of ICH education and promotion.

Sounds that Run in the Vast Grasslands of Mongolia_Oral Traditions and Performing Arts in Mongolia\n\nSince the early 1950s, the Institute of Language and Literature at the Academy of Science (ILL) has been sending survey teams one to three times a year to research and gather data on oral literature and local dialectics. These activities set the groundwork for officially establishing a new archive with written documents and magnetic audio tapes that could be used for research purposes and be maintained. Preserved on magnetic tapes are languages and dialects that have gone extinct, have lost their distinctiveness, or have been adsorbed into other languages or dialects.\n\nHowever, most of the magnetic tapes being kept at the ILL are more than sixty years old, and the expiration date on many tapes has already lapsed. Also, improper storage conditions have caused some tapes to dry out, cling to one another, or fracture. For these reason, it would be hard to transmit to the next generation. Accordingly, since 2008, efforts have been made towards restoring and digitizing superannuated magnetic tapes within the internal capability and capacity of the ILL. The lack of training, finance, and proper tools and technical equipment has, nevertheless, created several obstacles and the digitizing results have not been very successful.\n\nAt this crucial state, the ILL introduced a cooperative request to the Foundation for the Protection of Natural and Cultural Heritage (FPNCH), and the FPNCH proposed that ICHCAP continue the joint project and take measures for restoring and digitizing superannuated magnetic tapes and distributing and disseminating the data among the general public. According to the above decision, the FPNCH and ICHCAP implemented the Joint Cooperation Project of Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage by Using Information Technology from October 2011 to April 2012.\n\nAs the first stage of the project, the Expert Meeting for Safeguarding ICH by Using Information Technology was held in the Republic of Korea to exchange information with experts for digitizing and restoring the analogue data. The experts of Mongolian National Public Radio, the ILL, and the FPNCH started the project after sharing restoration and digitization knowledge with the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) of Korea, the National Archives of Korea, and the Korea Film Council.\n\nAs the main outcome of the project, a total of 715 hours of superannuated magnetic tapes including epics, folk tales, tales accompanied by the morin khuur, traditional arts, khuumei, chor, long and short folksongs, and traditional customs were restored, digitized, and categorized. Among them, 128 audio clips were selected and reproduced in a ten-CD collection called Sounds from the Mongolian Grasslands. The collection also includes a twenty-page handbook in English or Korean. Through this project, the general public’s, involved organizations’, and domestic and international experts’ awareness about Mongolian ICH increased, and the archive and music contents of regional ICH were strengthened.

ICH Courier is the quarterly magazine on ICH in the Asia-Pacific region issued by ICHCAP since 2009. Every issue has its own theme under the title of the Windows to ICH, and the theme of the Vol 18 is 'TRADITIONAL FERMENTED FOOD'.

ICH Courier is the quarterly magazine on ICH in the Asia-Pacific region issued by ICHCAP since 2009. Every issue has its own theme under the title of the Windows to ICH, and the theme of the Vol 42 is 'ICH FESTIVALS ON THE SILK ROAD.'