Bhansar Village in the Tanahun District, 140 kilometers west of Kathmandu, is home to the Gandharba Community, a musician caste of Nepal. The community is made up of 26 Gandharba houses and 150 residents. Nepal has a few musician castes that use song and music as their hereditary occupation. The Gandharba’s uniqueness comes from their use of the sarangi, a four-string instrument played with a bow, and their broad repertoire of songs. For centuries, the Gandharba played the sarangi as a tradition and profession. As a consequence of relying on the instrument for their livelihood, they were able to preserve their culture, art, and heritage since ancient times. The Gandharba musicians traveled throughout the country playing their music, and through their music, they sang messages of the people and kings and about heroic deeds. The Gandharba musicians were messengers of the nation. In fact, in many ways they still are, as they are the only conveyors of news and messages from times long past.\nIn Bhansar, people have their own culture, rituals, traditions, and lifestyles, with the majority of adult men relying on making and selling sarangi. In addition to selling instrument to locals and foreigners, they also seek out opportunities to perform. The elder men still wander from place to place trying to make a living as well as spreading the news and stories of the past. Other men of the younger generation make a living by singing on highway buses to entertain the passengers. However, the most interesting aspect of this village community is the creative thought and work of the Gandharba women.

Dr. Saifur Rashid is a Professor of Anthropology at the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh and has been a member of the faculty since 1993. He obtained his PhD in Anthropology in 2005 from Curtin University of Technology, Australia, and worked there as a Post-Doctoral Research and Teaching Fellow from 2006 to 2008. Dr. Rashid has been working with various UN agencies, Government organizations, national and international NGOs, and academic and research institutions of home and abroad for last 25 years. His areas of research interest include E-Governance, Heritage, Indigenous Knowledge, Natural Resources Management, Ethnicity, Migration and Visual Documentation. He has published several books and written many research articles in refereed scientific journals. His recently authored and co-authored books include ‘Connecting State and Citizens: Transformation Through e-Governance in Rural Bangladesh (2018)’, ‘Traditional Medicine: Sharing Experience from the Field (2017)’ and ‘Pains and Pleasure of Fieldwork’ (2016), Intangible Cultural Heritage in Urban Context (2020). He has made a number of documentaries on various ICH elements of Bangladesh for ICHCAP and Google Arts & Culture and awarded Distinction Prize for one of the documentaries made for ICHCAP, South Korea. Dr. Rashid is now working on two book projects: one on ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage of Bangladesh’ and another on ‘Anthropology and Heritage’. He is also working on another two book projects: one on ‘Migration, Fraudulence and Social Mediation’ and another on ‘The Told and Untold Stories of Bangladeshi Migrants in the Europe’. Professor Rashid is a member of the ICH National Expert Committee of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs of the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh and member of the executive committee of APHEN-ICH (Asia-Pacific Higher Education Network for Intangible Cultural Heritage) of ICHCAP. Professor Rashid visited more than 40 countries for attending meetings, seminars and conferences and gave lectures as key speaker and has been a Visiting Professor of Chonnam National University and Chonbuk National University, South Korea since 2015.

The Institute of Language and Literature (ILL) at the Mongolian Academy of Sciences is a scientific organization that manages academic researches on philology, literature, and folklore in Mongolia. The ILL was founded as the Institute of Sutra and Script in 1921. The name subsequently institute changed to the Cabinet of Philology in 1930, to the Centre for the Study of Philology and Literature in 1957, and finally to the Institute of Language and Literature in 1961 when the Mongolian Academy of Sciences was established. nSince 1962, the ILL at the Mongolian Academy of Sciences has been implementing fieldwork on folk heritage and local dialects one to three times per year. Sometimes folk tellers and singers have been invited to make audio and video recordings. As a result of these activities, the ILL has built a treasury of audio recordings and manuscripts of Mongolian cultural heritage. For instance, this treasury contains tales, heroic epics, long and short songs, and wise and metaphoric words. Also our researchers have recorded ethnic legends and stories about rituals and customs and festivals. About 1100 hours of audio recordings have been preserved in this fund. We are also preserving 451 units of handwritten books and manuscripts.

The Tharu Cultural Museum and Research Center is founded on the idea of preservation and promotion of indigenous cultural heritage, particularly that of the Tharu as one of Nepal’s largest and most marginalized ethnic groups. The organization is working on the preservation of Tharu culture and arts and community development through museum collections. In addition, they are conducting research on Tharu tradition, literature, arts, legendary stories, songs, festivals, rituals, as well as their indigenous knowledge, technology, and skills.

Shadow Play is a traditional theatre that uses light and shadow. There are opinions that say that this theatre originated from Java Island, Indonesia and there are others who say it came from Pattani in southern Thailand. However, it has become a traditional theatre for the Malay community since ages ago. A Shadow Play performance is headed by a Tok Dalang who moves puppets sculptured from cow hide based on specific characters. The puppets are projected behind a screen or white cloth using light rays. Tok Dalang’s greatness is also his ability to converse in a myriad of voices according to the characters in every performance. Shadow Play is performed with music accompaniment with the purpose to assist in enlivening the characters played and to portray the environment happening at a particular scene. Commonly used musical instruments are the clarinet which is the main instrument, a number of various types of drums, cymbal and gong. The musical instruments are different between Kelantan’s Shadow Play, Porwo Shadow Play of Johor and Gedek Shadow Play of Kedah. Although the basics are the same but the variation is in the type of drum, for example. Among the songs often played accompanying this arts form are ‘Lagu Bertabuh’, ‘Perang’, ‘Seri Rama’, ‘Kabar Manja’, ‘Buluh Seruas’, and ‘Pandan Wangi’. Generally, the stories played are excerpts from the Ramayana and Mahabrata Epic collections. The popular characters are Seri Rama, Siti Dewi, Wak Long, Pak Dogol and Hanuman. A performance is usually held in the evening. However, the function of Shadow Play is diminishing since the appearance of television that has various interesting programmes. The master activists too are becoming sidelined by the society. Once in a while Tok Dalang returns to the stage and screen when there is a request.

Shadow Play is a traditional theatre that uses light and shadow. There are opinions that say that this theatre originated from Java Island, Indonesia and there are others who say it came from Pattani in southern Thailand. However, it has become a traditional theatre for the Malay community since ages ago. A Shadow Play performance is headed by a Tok Dalang who moves puppets sculptured from cow hide based on specific characters. The puppets are projected behind a screen or white cloth using light rays. Tok Dalang’s greatness is also his ability to converse in a myriad of voices according to the characters in every performance. Shadow Play is performed with music accompaniment with the purpose to assist in enlivening the characters played and to portray the environment happening at a particular scene. Commonly used musical instruments are the clarinet which is the main instrument, a number of various types of drums, cymbal and gong. The musical instruments are different between Kelantan’s Shadow Play, Porwo Shadow Play of Johor and Gedek Shadow Play of Kedah. Although the basics are the same but the variation is in the type of drum, for example. Among the songs often played accompanying this arts form are ‘Lagu Bertabuh’, ‘Perang’, ‘Seri Rama’, ‘Kabar Manja’, ‘Buluh Seruas’, and ‘Pandan Wangi’. Generally, the stories played are excerpts from the Ramayana and Mahabrata Epic collections. The popular characters are Seri Rama, Siti Dewi, Wak Long, Pak Dogol and Hanuman. A performance is usually held in the evening. However, the function of Shadow Play is diminishing since the appearance of television that has various interesting programmes. The master activists too are becoming sidelined by the society. Once in a while Tok Dalang returns to the stage and screen when there is a request.

Yapese Intangible Cultural Heritage: History, Legends, Myths, and Performing Arts of the Federated States of Micronesia\n: Men’s Standing Dance for Yapese Local God\n\nThis is a men’s standing dance, performed by boys and young men from Gagil municipality during the celebration of 2007 Yap Day. This dance is made to pay tribute to the local god named Yalfath, who gives life, customs, and resources to the islanders.\nPerformers: Boys and young men from Gagil municipality \n\n--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\nThe Yap State Historic Preservation Office (YSHPO) is a national research institute established to record and preserve the history and cultural heritage of Yap State, one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). FSM has great cultural diversity, as the country consists of Pacific island groupings located between Palau and the Marshall Islands. Even in the same state, cultural differences can be found among residents of major, small and reef islands. Yap State, in particular, is known for its well-maintained traditions and practices. For instance, the Yapese still use stone money, the largest physical currency in the world. YSHPO has recorded and safeguarded various cultures and history in the Yap island.\n\nIn 2017, ICHCAP carried out the Digitization Project of ICH-related Analogue Materials in cooperation with YSHPO, which resulted in the digitization of five hundred hours of analogue materials. Based on this, ICHCAP has published an audiovisual collection, titled “Yapese Intangible Cultural Heritage: History, Legends, Myths, and Performing Arts of the Federated States of Micronesia”, which contains selected digitized materials that well represent FSM’s traditions. YSHPO not just contributed to the digitization of analogue materials, but also supported the production of the collection to help more people discover the precious materials.\n\nThe FSM collection consists of eight CDs and two DVDs. The collection lists twenty tracks of ICH-related stories, legends, and myths of everyday life of the Yapese that were recorded in the 1960s. The collection also features a video on major dances performed during Yap Day, an annual holiday celebrated since 2007. Each CD contains photos about live performances to provide a better understanding.\n\nThe digitization project is meaningful in that it has restored analogue materials in FSM, which were at risk of severe damage, to enhance academic values and raise public awareness of the materials. ICHCAP will continue its efforts to identify valuable materials in the Asia-Pacific region and provide a better access to ICH information through related projects.

In the communities of Viqueque, particularly among the Tetun-Terik-speaking people, fai-akar—the production of sago flour from the akar palm—is not merely a method of food preparation; it is a cultural ceremony that blends labor, rhythm, and collective identity. At the heart of this tradition is the Tali-Bole dance, a dynamic performance woven seamlessly into the act of pounding sago, transforming a daily task into a vibrant expression of heritage.\n\nThe process of making fai-akar begins with harvesting the inner pith of the akar palm tree, which is then ground and washed to extract starch. This labor-intensive task is done in groups, mostly by women, using long wooden pestles to pound the fiber in large mortars. But what sets this practice apart is the way pounding becomes performance: the coordinated movement of the pestles rises and falls to the beat of chanting and drumming, and the Tali-Bole dance emerges from the rhythm of the work itself.\n\nDancers move in synchrony with the pounding, often stepping in and out of the work line, twirling or waving cloth, and responding to sung verses. The term tali-bole can be interpreted in various ways—some connect it to the image of “binding cords,” others to the swinging motion of the pestles themselves—but in all meanings, it emphasizes connection, unity, and the shared pulse of community labor.\n\nSongs sung during the pounding and dancing are passed down orally and are rich in metaphor and memory. One of the most well-known verses, Lakaleok, is sung toward the end of the session, signaling closure and expressing gratitude. These lyrics often tell stories of ancestors, landscapes, and social values, ensuring that cultural knowledge is preserved even in the most practical of activities.\n\nTraditionally, fai-akar and Tali-Bole were performed during rites of passage, funerals, house inaugurations, and communal feasts. Participation was seen not only as a contribution of labor but as an affirmation of cultural belonging. The rhythmic beat of the pestles and the voices of the singers created a space where work, ritual, and performance blended into one.\n\nAlthough the practice remains alive in some villages, it faces growing challenges. The availability of processed food, the decline of communal labor traditions, and the migration of youth to urban areas have all contributed to its reduced presence. Yet, in places where it continues, fai-akar and Tali-Bole are embraced as sources of pride, often featured at cultural festivals and heritage events to showcase the strength and creativity of traditional life.\n\nTo witness Tali-Bole is to see cultural memory in motion—where hands work, feet dance, and voices carry the wisdom of generations. In every stomp and song, the community reaffirms its bond with the land, its past, and one another.

Yapese Intangible Cultural Heritage: History, Legends, Myths, and Performing Arts of the Federated States of Micronesia\n\nDVD1 Yapese Traditional DancesΙ\nThis selection features a traditional Yapese men’s standing dance and women’s standing dance. The former is intended to pay tribute to a local god named Yalfath , the one who gives life, customs, and resources. The latter is a unique women’s standing dance, which was taken from the tale of a friendly crab from the shore of Ngariy village, Rull municipality.\n\nDVD2 Yapese Traditional DancesⅡ\nThis selection features a Yapese women’s bamboo dance as well as women’s sitting dance from Rumuu’ village in Fanif municipality. The former was performed during village gatherings and ceremonial events that entailed various traditional games for young locals in the village. The latter talks about the women’s roles and responsibilities in their homes and in the village.\n\n---------------------------------\nYapese Intangible Cultural Heritage: History, Legends, Myths, and Performing Arts of the Federated States of Micronesia home\n(2017 Federated States of Micronesia-ICHCAP Digitization Project of ICH-related Analogue Audiovisual Materials)\n\nThe Yap State Historic Preservation Office (YSHPO) is a national research institute established to record and preserve the history and cultural heritage of Yap State, one of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). FSM has great cultural diversity, as the country consists of Pacific island groupings located between Palau and the Marshall Islands. Even in the same state, cultural differences can be found among residents of major, small and reef islands. Yap State, in particular, is known for its well-maintained traditions and practices. For instance, the Yapese still use stone money, the largest physical currency in the world. YSHPO has recorded and safeguarded various cultures and history in the Yap island.\n\nIn 2017, ICHCAP carried out the Digitization Project of ICH-related Analogue Materials in cooperation with YSHPO, which resulted in the digitization of five hundred hours of analogue materials. Based on this, ICHCAP has published an audiovisual collection, titled “Yapese Intangible Cultural Heritage: History, Legends, Myths, and Performing Arts of the Federated States of Micronesia”, which contains selected digitized materials that well represent FSM’s traditions. YSHPO not just contributed to the digitization of analogue materials, but also supported the production of the collection to help more people discover the precious materials.\n\nThe FSM collection consists of eight CDs and two DVDs. The collection lists twenty tracks of ICH-related stories, legends, and myths of everyday life of the Yapese that were recorded in the 1960s. The collection also features a video on major dances performed during Yap Day, an annual holiday celebrated since 2007. Each CD contains photos about live performances to provide a better understanding.\n\nThe digitization project is meaningful in that it has restored analogue materials in FSM, which were at risk of severe damage, to enhance academic values and raise public awareness of the materials. ICHCAP will continue its efforts to identify valuable materials in the Asia-Pacific region and provide a better access to ICH information through related projects.

Nepalese communities express their emotions through the rhythms of various folk dances. Folk dances, in fact, are an inseparable part of rural life. On the other hand, the religious influence can easily be observed in the songs and dances, which are often performed to please deities responsible for the well-being of humans and cattle, favorable climate, and good harvest. As the country has widely differing topographical features, so does it have vast variances in cultural aspects. Folk songs and dances depend on cultures, cas-tes, seasons, and geographical features. For example, a sherpa living in the Himalayan region sings and dances differently from a Tharu living in the Terai region. Similarly, songs and dances performed in the spring season express joyous emotions, whereas those performed in the winter season express sadness. This collection includes the most famous folk dances of the different indigenous communities of Nepal dwelling in various environments. These dances are a part of their daily life.

This song literally relates to Roko Savirewa awaiting his meal, the day’s catch from the sea. The “meal” referred to is a fish locally known as Nuqa. (It is unknown whether Roko Savirewa is the name of a child or elder or Chief. Roko, in some parts of Fiji, refers to a chiefly title preceding the chiefdom they rule, e.g., Duke of Norwich England, but in this case “Duke of Savirewa.”) In olden days, with no formal schooling, children learned the language, cultural practices, and survival techniques through chants and stories and other means of oral transmission of intangible cultural heritage such as this song.

Dá hai is an art form performed on the folk stage by Nùng people in the eastern districts of the northern border. In the 1960s and 1970s, Dá hai drama had a strong development and many groups performing this kind of drama appeared. Dá hai drama had turned into a Nùng style from a form of puppetry Mộc Thầu Hý, a popular art form at village fairs in Cao Bằng Dá hai drama performs ancient stories, such as Phạm Tải - Ngọc Hoa, Hoa Mộc Lan tòng quân (Hoa Mộc Lan joined the army), Hoa phù dung, Tống Chân - Cúc Hoa, Lương Sơn Bá - Chúc Anh Đài, etc. Dá hai has many tunes, depending on content, themes, and details of characters that performers use—Sai va páo (playful, excited), sli páo, pìn táo (lyrical, romantic), cù táo (sad and mourning). The nhị (two-string fiddle) is always played as accompaniment in Dá hai. On a larger stage, Dá hai drama includes the accompaniment of a small orchestra consisting of nhị bố (two-string fiddle with a bass sound), nhị mẹ (two-string fiddle with delicate sound), cymbal, bamboo flute, and small drum. This track has excerpts of characters who, despite broken love affair, should not to be too sad but hope for a better future.

Benedictions\n\nMongolian well-wishing is a powerful expression of the miraculous capacity of words. It is one of the genres of Mongolian oral poetry that uses melodies. Briefly, benedictions (well-wishing) propitiate people’s future happiness and well-being through skilfully composed and recited poems. There are thousands of benedictions on various subjects. For instance there are benedictions recited while beating the sweat cloth of a saddle, while distilling milk vodka, while celebrating a birth, and while cutting an infant’s hair for the first time. Besides ancient benedictions, many contemporary benedictions are being kept at the ILL. These include benedictions for a new ger, weddings, a child’s first haircut, endowment practices, mare-milking ceremonies, foal-branding ceremonies, the People’s Revolution, and others for the military.

Folk Short Songs\n\nMongolian folk songs are divided in three different categories, such as long songs, short songs and the authors’ songs. Folk songs are shorter than other forms of expressions with average durations of one to five minutes, but there is a high volume of them. Thus, restoring, categorising, and digitising folk songs were the most time-consuming tasks compared to others. Within the framework of the project, just under forty-eight hours of songs were restored and digitised.

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.

Audio and Video Materials Collected from the Onsite Survey in the Ferghana Valley_2012 Uzbekistan-ICHCAP Joint Cooperation Project of Producing Digital Contents on ICH\n\nThe glorious intangible cultural heritage (ICH) of Ferghana Valley encompassing the state of Ferghana, Andijion, and Namangan in Uzbekistan includes oral traditional, performing arts, traditional rites and festive events, and traditional crafts. However, this heritage is largely unknown to the public in the nation and abroad, and it is fading out even more rapidly due to the young generation’s lack of interest.\n\nSince 2011, the four Central Asian countries, including Uzbekistan, have been implementing a three-year project, Facilitating ICH Inventory-Making by Using Online Tools for ICH Safeguarding in the Central Asian Region as a Central Asia–ICHCAP cooperative project. In the framework of the project, the countries have collected ICH information and tried to build an online system for managing the collected information.\n\nIn Uzbekistan, the Republican Scientific and Methodological Centre of Folk Art, under the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Uzbekistan, in collaboration with the National Commission of the Republic of Uzbekistan for UNESCO, implemented the three-year project. They collected information on ICH elements in the Ferghana Valley (Andijan, Namangan, and Ferghana regions), Zarafshan Oasis and Southern Uzbekistan (Jizzakh, Samarkand, Kashkadarya, and Surkhandarya regions), and the Republic of Karakalpakstan (Navoi, Bukhara, and Khoresm regions) through onsite surveys from 2012 to 2014.\n\nIn 2012 when the first onsite survey was concluded, Uzbekistan and ICHCAP selected representative materials among collected videos, audios, and photos on ICH elements and ICH bearers, and compiled the materials as a ten-CD/DVD collection. Also, booklets in English, Uzbek, and Korean were made to spread related information to a wider audience.\n\nFerghana Valley is also home to Tajikistan, Uighers, and Turkistan. In the other words, different traditions co-exist in the same place. ‘Katta Ashula’, which integrates arts, songs, music, and epics, is one Uzbek cultural heritage representing the identities of the diverse people live in the valley\n\nThe collection could preserve the disappeared and disconnected ICH and encourage increased mutual understanding and communication by spreading the information widely from the experts to the people.

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 6 is 'ICH AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS'.

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'.