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Asia-Pacific Database on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH)
by Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU)
Published by
Printed by
Taito Printing Co., Ltd. Tokyo
Cover Photographs:
Akhil Hardia (India), Don Niles (Papua New Guinea), Ghazi Ghulam Raza (Pakistan), Reza Zirakpoor (Iran), Rim Il-Tae
(Republic of Korea), Rinchensonom Gombojav (Mongolia), Vivek Jitendra Desai (India),
Vo Trung Kien (Viet Nam)
* Prize-winning photographs of the 20th Photo Contest in Asia and the Pacific “Traditional Arts and People” organized in
1997 by ACCU
[800]
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Asia-Pacific Database on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH)
by Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU)
Preface
The Asia/Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU) organized the 1998 Regional
Seminar for Cultural Personnel in Asia and the Pacific "Preservation and Promotion of the Intangible
Cultural Heritage" from 24 February 1998 to 2 March 1998 in cooperation with UNESCO, Japanese
National Commission for UNESCO and the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan.
Twenty participants from nineteen UNESCO Member States in Asia and the Pacific attended
the seminar. Ms. Noriko Aikawa, Chief of Intangible Cultural Heritage Section, Division of Cultural
Heritage, UNESCO, joined the seminar as UNESCO representative.
The seminar was organized in two separate but interrelated parts. Part I of the seminar was
for the exchange of information and discussions regarding to what extent the provisions of the
Application of the Recommendation on the Safeguarding of Traditional Culture and Folklore
(UNESCO, 1989) have been applied in Asia and the Pacific. The discussion was based on the replies
to the Questionnaire conducted by UNESCO at the end of 1997 in the light of this seminar. A set of
recommendations in regard to the application of the Recommendation was adopted during this part I.
Part II of the seminar dealt with traditional/folk performing arts specifically. There were discussions
to elaborate a plan for the joint development programme of the data bank on traditional/folk
performing arts as one of the active programmes of regional co-operation to find effective measures to
preserve and promote traditional/folk performing arts.
Thanks to the active attendance and devoted work of the participants, as well as special
contributions rendered by the experts concerned in preparing and organizing this seminar, the seminar
was highly successful.
We sincerely hope that this report will be valuable to the personnel involved in activities for
the preservation and promotion of the intangible cultural heritage, and will help to further reinforce the
action programmes concerned.
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Asia-Pacific Database on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH)
by Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU)
Contents
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Asia-Pacific Database on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH)
by Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU)
I. Final Report
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Asia-Pacific Database on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH)
by Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU)
She stressed that the socio-economic (3) Group discussion and adoption of
globalization and the rapid progress of the recommendation
communication techniques have accelerated the
uniformization of cultures of the world, thus After the presentation, group discussion was
making preservation of intangible cultural conducted in order to make recommendations
heritage a matter of urgent need. about Part I, addressed to UNESCO, to the
governments of UNESCO Member States and to
She outlined how the 1989 Recommendation ACCU to reinforce application of the UNESCO
was formulated, and emphasized the importance Recommendation. Three working groups were
of the Recommendation for UNESCO as a formed for each of the following themes. All
working tool to evaluate the state of preservation the participants chose one group out of three
of the intangible cultural heritage in the Member basically in accordance with their own interest:
States, and for the Member States as a reference
document to be used by them in their policies on i) Safeguarding and preservation of
the preservation, protection and promotion of the traditional and popular culture
intangible heritage. Mr. Chuch Phoeurn (Cambodia)
Prof. Cai Liang-yu (China) Rapporteur
She also explained the outcomes of the Dr. Anhar Gonggong (Indonesia)
preceding seminars in Czech Republic and in Mr. Behrooz Vojdani (Iran)
Mexico and that the similar seminars would be Mr. Khampheng Ketavong (Lao P.D.R.)
held for other parts of the world, culminating in Dr. To Ngoc Thanh (Viet Nam)
a world conference planned for 1999. She also
explained various examples of the methods and
efforts conducted by UNESCO. Confirming Chairperson
that in the last UNESCO General Conference, ii) Traditional and popular cultures in
the intangible cultural heritage programme was national cultural policies
endorsed unanimously by Member States as one Mr. Md. Asaduzzaman Bhuiyan Chairperson
of the highest priority programmes in the field of (Bangladesh)
culture, she concluded by emphasizing the Mr. Phuntsho (Bhutan) Rapporteur
importance of multiculturalism and respect for Mr. Sonom-Ishiin Yundenbat (Mongolia)
cultures of others. Dr. Osamu Yamaguti (Japan)
Dr. Im Jang Hyuk (Republic of Korea)
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Asia-Pacific Database on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH)
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why traditional/folk performing arts should be opinions, the following was confirmed as a
preserved and promoted; etc. major conclusion of the discussion.
In order to resolve the said problems, continuous i) The project plan for the development
effort is needed to accelerate the activities for of the data bank on traditional/folk performing
the preservation and promotion of arts in Asia and the Pacific proposed by ACCU
traditional/folk performing arts as follows: was unanimously approved and highly
- to formulate and execute national commended by the participants.
policies;
- to conduct scientific investigation; ii) However, the following points were
- to reinforce advocacy activities for raised for the improvement of the project plan;
making programmes, allocating budget and
personnel; (a) The objectives of the project plan
- to create awareness among should be more clearly and convincingly stated.
governmental personnel and people in general,
of the importance of this kind of activity; etc. (b) On the selection of performing arts;
- the number of the
For their reports, please refer to Documents Part performing art forms to be selected by each
II. participating country should be “at least one”.
- While selecting the items,
(4) Examination of the future plan priority should be attached to those facing
danger of extinction.
As one concrete step forward in the field of - Criteria for the selection
preservation and promotion of traditional and may be elaborated on.
folk performing arts, ACCU proposed a
discussion among the participants based on a (c) The schedule of the project
draft plan for a regional co-operation should be suitably adjusted to accommodate
programme: Development of the Data Bank on enough time for the collection of data to be
Traditional/Folk Performing Arts in Asia and the submitted by the participating countries.
Pacific. (See Working Documents)
The objectives of the proposed development (d) ACCU would ask the
programme of the Data Bank were explained as relevant authority of each UNESCO Member
follows: State in the region for its co-operation in this
- to collect, share and mobilize project.
information on traditional/folk performing arts
in the region for policy making, practical iii) ACCU should keep the participating
development of projects, research and education Member States well informed of the progress of
on traditional/folk performing arts. the project.
- to foster the network of organizations
and individuals in the field through the course of iv) The data bank to be published by ACCU
development of this programme. would contain a preface specifying that it is not
- to prepare the basis for a scheme for exhaustive and is subject to updating.
the future development of an Asia-Pacific
archive of audio-visual documentation of v) ACCU would make all efforts to make the
performing arts. data bank available to all relevant organizations
within each UNESCO Member State in Asia and
It was stressed that this proposed plan reflected the Pacific.
the needs of the region, which requires more
information on the situation of its vi) ACCU would make further efforts to make
traditional/folk performing arts, and that the the data bank available free of cost to UNESCO
scheme was in line with the role ACCU had Member States in Asia and the Pacific in CD-
played in the past as a clearing house of ROMs and on the Internet.
information in the field of culture.
vii) It was also proposed that ACCU would
After a thorough exchange of views and prepare the basis for the further development of
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Asia-Pacific Database on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH)
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6. Include new innovations and ideas while defining (i) Technology transfer, sharing of views of
traditional culture; experts and exchange of information in relevant
fields;
7. Provide provision to set up national apex body to (ii) Holding of seminars and symposia regularly
monitor the implementation of the policy. Similarly, and close coordination among the local bodies;
bodies may also be formed at local levels to sit (iii) Regular regional festivals on different
periodically to review the progress and also to make aspects of traditional popular culture may be
suggestion, if any; organized.
8. Provide copyright benefit to the communities of 2. Extend support for the identification, inventory
the concerned originator or possessors; making, indexing, cataloging, recording of traditional
heritage and folklore;
9. Provide financial support by government to
different communities to perform festivals regularly; 3. Organize workshops, provide educational
facilities including training for the concerned
10. Utilize both electronic and mass media for personnels;
broader coverage and to popularize the traditional
culture and folklore; 4. Support programmes to identify and recognize
international living treasures;
11. Create identification and recording system
following UNESCO manual; 5. Call a meeting of experts in legal aspects of the
intangible cultural heritage with an aim of giving legal
12. Prepare a generally accepted guidelines for support to the protection of this heritage;
tourism where necessary. Activities relating to
tourism and festivals should be flexible to be decided 6. Assist the Member States to establish their
by the communities; national register.
14. Follow the recommendation and guidelines of the 2. Invite experts and organize training courses to
UNESCO; train collectors, archivists, documentalists and other
specialists in various levels in the conservation of
15. Invest enough funds for the safeguarding and folklore;
preservation of traditional culture and preservation of
traditional and popular cultures; 3. Continue all the publications of Asian/Pacific
folklore video-tapes, CDs and other programmes;
16. Take necessary steps to limit the range of cultural
tourists under the national law or local knowledge in 4. Hold workshops on different topics to promote
order to preserve and protect folklore; regional cooperation.
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the following trends and problems in the region. traditional cultures and folklore by different
In most of the countries the issue of traditional regional organizations such as MERCOSUR, the
and popular cultures forms part of their national Organization of American States (OAS) and the
cultural policies, education systems and Organization of Latin American States (OLAS).
copyright legislations. In these countries, all
the ethnic groups have access to their own Finally, the seminar formulated a number of
culture. They all have institutions specialized important recommendations which deserve to be
in this field, but none of them are well mentioned. For instance, UNESCO was first of
coordinated. They all have very rich all requested to set up in Mexico a Regional
collections of recordings but they do not have Centre for Popular Culture and Folklore for the
enough archives. All countries suffer from the region of Latin America and the Caribbean.
lack of a coordinated classification system. In Secondly, it was also asked to convene a
conclusion UNESCO was called upon to (i) meeting of the cultural authorities of the region,
organize similar seminars in other regions, (ii) in which they would tackle the issue of how to
further disseminate, by concrete steps, the make traditional cultures and folklore a priority
Recommendation and (iii) survey the desirability within their cultural policies. Other
of establishing an international legal instrument recommendations stressed the importance of
that would permit more effective safeguarding of promoting the initial and continuing training of
traditional culture and folklore. UNESCO was folklore promoters and of sharing experience
also requested to consider the possibility of acquired by certain countries in the formulation
improving the existing Recommendation, of tax incentive laws designed for folklore
including references to a code of ethics, which promotion through training workshops.
would declare principles of respect for the Further recommendations proposed the creation
traditional culture and folklore of all nations and of an annual international prize for creators of
ethnic groups. Today I am happy to show you intangible popular culture and the declaration of
the first copy of a methodological handbook the ethnic Creole language and Oruro carnival as
entitled "Principles of traditional culture and parts of the intangible heritage of humanity.
folklore protection against inappropriate The seminar also addressed a number of
commercialization", which has just been Recommendations to Member States
published by the Ministry of Culture of the Governments to promote traditional and popular
Czech Republic with UNESCO support. culture as part of their cultural policies, establish
relevant legislations and introduce pluricultural
The regional seminar covering the region Latin education, etc. The seminar also urged
America and the Caribbean was held at Mexico Member States to implement the "Living Human
City in September 1997. It revealed that the Treasure" system proposed by UNESCO.
Latin America and Caribbean region was well
ahead of the rest of the world, in recognizing the The Present Seminar mainly concerns the Asian
importance of "multi-culturalism". Many regions. During the period 1989 - 1999,
actions have already been taken to protect and UNESCO plans to organize similar evaluations
promote the traditional and popular cultures. for the Pacific (November 1998), Africa
In conclusion, this seminar underlined the (September 1998) and the Arab States (February
following points: 1999). In June 1999 the organization of a
world conference on the implementation of the
(i) The importance for the region to Recommendation in planned at the Paris
continue with the democratization process and Headquarters to summarize the assessments
promote traditional cultures and folklore in order made in all regions.
to ensure peaceful co-existence, tolerance and
cultural diversity. Ladies and gentlemen,
(ii) The necessity to define
decentralized cultural policies for local Among the most visible actions of UNESCO, I
communities in order to strengthen community can quote the example of the world heritage list.
participation in the projects at their various Its targets with respect to 152 countries
stages. signatories of the Convention for the protection
(iii) The necessity to co-ordinate the of the world cultural and natural heritage
various initiatives already taken to promote adopted by UNESCO in 1972 are to encourage
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Asia-Pacific Database on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH)
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the identification, protection and preservation of which needs to be protected and the general
the cultural and natural heritage, taking into frame necessary for its identification,
account its exceptional value for humanity. conservation, preservation, protection and
The World Heritage Committee established by dissemination. At present, UNESCO is using
the Convention selects cultural and natural sites the Recommendation as the working tool to
to be included on the World Heritage List. evaluate the state of preservation of the
Today this List contains 552 sites, including 418 intangible heritage in the Member States.
cultural sites, 114 natural sites and 20 mixed
sites. The World Heritage List, despite its In April 1997, a new attempt was made during
"success story", has a number of drawbacks. It the UNESCO/WIPO World Forum on the
corresponds to a reference frame which is not Protection of Folklore held at Phuket (Thailand).
always suitable for many countries of Africa, This forum confirmed the necessity for Member
Oceania, Latin America and the Carribbean, States to concentrate their efforts on the
whose heritage is expressed more typically organization of their national system of
through living cultural expressions, namely identification, preservation, conservation and
music, dance and oral traditions. At the time judicial protection of traditional culture and
when 152 States, were Parties to the folklore as an essential step in the preparation of
international instrument, the less prosperous international protection. It also stated that the
countries did not profit from the Convention. UNESCO 1989 Recommendation can be used
That is why these countries requested UNESCO by Member States as a reference document in
to find other ways of taking account of the their policies on the preservation, protection and
heritage diversity existing in the world. To promotion of the intangible heritage. Many
meet this request UNESCO could undertake participants expressed the view that the
international normative actions, either by "intellectual property" protection designed for
modifying the 1972 Convention and adding a individual creation is, by its very nature, not
section on the intangible heritage, or by suitable for the traditional and popular cultures
establishing a new convention in favour of which are collective creations. It might
traditional and popular cultural expressions. therefore be better to find solutions other than
However, the procedures for normative actions the "intellectual property approach".
take at least 5 to 6 years. Morever, the terms of
references of an eventual convention are very Meanwhile UNESCO is trying to undertake
hard to define because it concerns an intangible alternative activities. For example, I am
and permanently evolutive field bound up with pleased to introduce to you the project "Living
the spiritual life of peoples and the model Human Treasures". The goal of the project is
instruments applicable to all cultures are almost to foster the transmission of traditional skills.
impossible to define. By the way, just after the UNESCO seeks to encourage each Member
adoption of the 1972 Convention, at the State to identify the intangible heritage in need
initiative of Bolivia, certain developing of urgent safeguarding and the possessors of
countries - defenders of the idea that "The know-how, and also to take the measures
cultural heritage is a resource belonging to a necessary to establish a system of "Living
group and should be used for its benefit" - Human Treasures". The Director-General
requested UNESCO to study the protection of wrote a letter in September 1996 to all Member
traditional and popular cultures from the judicial States inviting them to establish this system. A
angle. This study and the attempt to create a "guide" was distributed on that occasion.
convention lasted 16 years and cost millions of Within the framework of preparatory assistance,
dollars for UNESCO which organized numerous UNESCO is ready to provide consultants to help
intergovernmental meetings to draw up the text the authorities of Member States to establish
of the relevant provisions. The result of all legislation to protect the intangible heritage as
these efforts turned out to be that, instead of well as the possessors of relevant "know-how",
adopting a convention, the General Conference establish a national register of the different types
of UNESCO in 1989 adopted a of intangible heritage, prepare a draft list of all
"Recommendation" which is less constraining aspects of intangible heritage to be protected and
for Member States. Nevertheless, the long and safeguarded and prepare candidatures for
fastidious effort had fruitful results, namely the inclusion on the list of "Living Human
definition of "traditional culture and folklore" Treasures". Some Asian and Pacific countries,
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Asia-Pacific Database on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH)
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programme. That shows how much importance identified with universally recognized values
Member Governments are beginning to give to such as human rights, democracy and equity.
the traditional and popular culture.
Such conclusion of the Report "Our Creative
As you are aware "Our Creative Diversity", the Diversity", certainly gives a clear indication of
report of the World Commission on Culture and the future orientation of UNESCO's Culture
Development, chaired by Mr. Pérez de Cuellar, programme.
after making a thorough analysis of the
interaction between Culture and Development, Ladies and gentlemen,
concluded that "since development embraces,
not only access to goods and services, but also The whole world admired the extraordinary
the opportunity to choose a fully satisfying, economic growth of Asian countries. It was
valuable and valued way of living together, the said that many cultural aspects, unique to the
flourishing of human existence in all its forms region such as traditional consumption habits,
and as a whole, Culture is not a mere instrument community loyalties, patterns of co-operation
of development but the true end of and hierarchies had contributed to this success.
development". In order to attain the goal Now many Asian countries are suffering from
which is the "valuable and valued way of living the recent financial crisis. Specialists are
together", "multiculturalism" must be promoted analysing the causes of this crisis from different
at all levels. For the success of angles. We do not yet know the role played by
multiculturalism, it is indispensable that each culture in this context. We hope, however, that
group respects the culture of others and observes the attempts to strengthen the global ethics of
the minimal ethical codes which are common to the Asian countries will help to overcome the
all groups belonging to the community such as present difficulties.
"no harm", "non-violence", "no-suffering",
"tolerance", "respect", "generosity", etc. A I wish the seminar every success.
careful analysis of de Cuellar Commission
reveals that these global ethics could, in fact, be
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Asia-Pacific Database on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH)
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Asia-Pacific Database on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH)
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the attention of the authorities, departments or The Recommendation is delivered to all of the
bodies responsible for matters relating to the provincial Cultural Bureau; it is translated into
safeguarding of folklore and to the attention of Chinese and published in the official journal
the various organizations or institutions "Wenhua yaolan" (文化要覧)of the Ministry of
concerned with folklore and encourage their Culture, 1997 No. 2, issued June 30, 1997.
contacts with appropriate international India No
Indonesia Yes
organizations dealing with the safeguarding of
Directorate of History and Traditional Values since
folklore". 1976-77 has a Project of Investigation and
Documentation of Local Culture. The Project has
"The General Conference recommends that collected folklore in 26 provinces and published the
Member States should, at such times and in such result research (in Indonesian language).
manner as it shall determine, submit to the Iran Yes
Organization reports on the action they have (1) Iranian Cultural Heritage Organization (ICHO);
taken to give effect to this Recommendation". (2) University of Art; (3) Tehran University
(Department of Music). They have been informed
through the National Commission for UNESCO
3 (a) Are the bodies, organizations and
Japan n/a
institutions concerned in your country aware There are a great number of organizations in Japan
of the Recommendation? If yes, indicate that have some connection with folklore as the term
their names and how and when they were is defined by the Recommendation and therefore it is
informed: impossible for us to ascertain whether all of them are
aware of the Recommendation.
Yes 13 Lao P.D.R. n/a
n/a
No 4 15% Malaysia Yes
n/a 3 No Yes
Maldives Yes
20% 65%
Mongolia Yes
Ministry of Science, Technology Education and
Culture of Mongolia; Cultural Heritage Centre
(Government agency); Mongolian Centre for the
Bangladesh Yes Intangible Cultural Heritage (NGO).
The Bangla Academy - The National Institute of Arts Nepal No
and Letters of Bangladesh. The Bangla Academy Pakistan Yes
had organised a series of international folklore National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage
workshops, during late eighties and early nineties. (Lok Virsa) through UNESCO and ACCU.
One of the faculty members of the Second P.N.G. No
International Folklore Workshop (1987) was Prof. Philippines Yes
Lauri Honko of Turku University, Finland. The National Commission on Culture and Arts
Incidentally, he was the chairman of the special (NCCA), the Cultural Center of the Philippines
committee formed by UNESCO to prepare (CCP), the National Museum, National Library,
Recommendations regarding safeguarding of folklore Philippines Folklore Society, and similar institutions
and traditional culture. He delivered a lecture at the were informed through a presidential proclamation in
above mentioned workshop on the Recommendations 1989.
prepared by the expert committee, formed by Rep. of Korea Yes
UNESCO, Paris. The Recommendation was known to the following
Bhutan Yes organizations after the policy meeting held in Seoul,
The Special Commission for Cultural Affairs; The on 22-25 Oct. 1996. Office of Cultural Properties,
Education Division; The Commission for National National Folk Museum; National Research Institute
Language Promotion; The National Library of of Cultural Properties and Cultural Properties
Bhutan; The National Museum of Bhutan; The Royal Committee.
Academy of Performing Arts, The School of Arts and Sri Lanka n/a
Crafts; Bhutan Olympic Committee (as it is also Thailand Yes
entrusted with the promotion of traditional National The Fine Arts Department and the Office of the
Sports),;The Restoration Division; The National National Culture Commission are informed by the
Institute of Language Studies; Tashi Yangtsi Folk Thailand National Commission for UNESCO.
Arts School. The Recommendation was circulated Viet Nam Yes
to the above organizations. The Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO;
Cambodia No the Viet Nam Institute of Culture and Art Studies;
China Yes The Association of Vietnamese Folklorists.
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Asia-Pacific Database on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH)
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forms both at central and sate levels - e.g., priorities of this policy.
departments of languages, literature, sports, Pakistan
performing arts, handicrafts, etc. Both by the provincial and federal governments.
A national cultural policy is still evolving in India. As a part of national cultural policy.
The priorities mentioned above (safeguarding, etc.) Priorities: preservation, safeguarding, collection
are broadly the priorities of government-sponsored and dissemination.
porgrammes in these fields. P.N.G.
Indonesia As a part of national cultural policy.
The result project is documented and published to all Priorities: safeguarding, revitalization, protection,
school libraries in Indonesia. development and promotion.
Iran Philippines
As a part of national cultural policy: Iranian As a part of national cultural policy . Mandate is
Cultural Heritage Organization (ICHO). Radio, TV, given to the National Commission on Culture and
NGOs:, books, magazines, articles, newspapers.... Arts and all its component agencies.
Priorities are; Priorities: collection, recording, translation,
National: safeguarding, preservation, conservation publication, archiving & continuing research.
and transmission dissemination through education is a policy. Living
NGO: research, presentation treasures are recognized
Japan
Traditional performing arts and folk performing arts Rep. of Korea
are designated as Important Intangible Cultural Provision for protecting the cultural properties was
Properties and Important Intangible Folk-cultural adopted as a part of national policy since 1960's in
Properties, respectively under the Law for the order for transmission, safeguarding and
Protection of Cultural Properties enacted in 1950, revitalization of traditional Korean culture.
and preservation and transmission are encouraged Sri Lanka
through such measures as subsidies for the training of As a part of national cultural policy.
performers to perpetuate them. All prefectures and Priorities are: (1) Identification
most cities, towns and villages have enacted cultural (2) Preservation (3) Promotion
property protection ordinances to safeguard and (4) Dissemination
transmit designated performing arts. The Tokyo Thailand
National Research Institute of Cultural Properties has As a part of national cultural policy
a section devoted to performing arts which conducts Priorities: (1) Safeguarding
research on related subjects. In 1966 the National (2) Revitalization (3) Transmission
Theater was established to give public performances, (4) Dissemination
collect related data, and train performers to carry on Viet Nam
the traditional arts. As a part of national cultural policy. The
Lao P.D.R. Vietnamese government advocates to build an
As a part of national cultural policy (Position one) "advanced culture boldly expressing national
As a subject of separate policy (The resolution of the identity."
party) According to the conception of this policy, the
Priorities: Safeguarding traditional culture/folklore is considered not only as
Malaysia an unseparated part of the contemporary culture, but
As a part of national cultural policy also as an important source on basic of which to
Priorities: safeguarding, protection, dissemination. promote and preserve the national cultural identity.
Maldives Priority of this policy:
As a part of national cultural policy. - Collect for safeguarding
The National Council for Linguistic and Historical - Revitalize the traditional cultural/folklore activities
Research is working to compile a book on folklore, in recent life of people
as it is an important part of our culture. - Encourage to transmit traditional cultural/folklore
Mongolia values by both ways: oral and textual, through
The matters of traditional culture/folklore are handled participating in cultural activities and through the
as a part of the national cultural policy of Mongolia. teaching curricula of school.
Priorities: safeguarding, transmission, protection,
dissemination are priorities of the cultural policy.
4 (b) Does this policy reflect the ongoing
Nepal
transformations in your country and
As a part of national cultural policy.
Safeguarding of folklores of different communities is region, and if so, in what way? If
the top priority with the HMG/Nepal. Propagation yes, give examples:
and transmission on national scale are urgent e.g. - taking new realities into account,
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archiving the collected materials on the intangible Sustainable development schemes and support of
cultural heritage. National Living Treasures by subsidies on the
- To investigate and determine the bearers of national level. Consultation, networking with Asia-
traditional folklore and intangible cultural heritage Pacific Region on Museums, film documentary and
and to promote the system of living human treasures festivals in cooperation with UNESCO. By
to adapt to specific national conditions. legislative agenda and NGO cooperation, a
- To establish a national centre, national council or systematic process of transmission of traditional arts
commission representing the various groups of from living national treasures is to be instituted.
interest, state and public organizations and scientific Rep. of Korea
and research institute directed to various genres of At national level; in co-operation with specialized
the intangible cultural heritage in order to coordinate NGOs.
their activities. Sri Lanka
At regional level Identification of linkage between the development
- To set up a special Asian and Pacific Centre in the and traditional culture/folklore and prepare an
safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage in a awareness programme targeting all levels of
country like Japan, which has much experience in populations, special attention should be drawn to the
systematic work for safeguarding of the intangible younger generation through school system.
cultural heritage and the financial ability to Thailand
coordinate the cooperation of the national and At national level; in co-operation with specialized
regional centres and councils in the dissemination of NGOs.
the information and the organization of the seminars, Viet Nam
training courses, symposium and festivals and to At national level: To be published law of
carry out the various joint projects and to create the "Preservation and promotion of traditional/folklore
monetary funds in order to assist each other. culture" approved by National Assembly.
In co-operation with UNESCO At regional and ethnic group's level: Based on the
- To pay more attention to the organization of cultural features to define and classify cultural region
training courses, seminars and workshops to give the in the country. In each region it must define and
latest information and international experiences to divide ethnic or cultural sub-region. The
and to improve the qualification of the collectors, classification and definition of cultural region and
archivists, documentalists and other specialists sub-regions is helpful for the policy of preservation
related to the safeguarding and conservation of the and promotion of traditional/folklore culture.
intangible cultural heritage in order to provide In co-operation with UNESCO: Actively
complete information on the intangible cultural participating in the UNESCO's activities, Vietnam
heritage and to utilize the latest technical hopes to make the international co-operation with
achievements in this activity. UNESCO and its member countries.
Nepal In co-operation with specialized NGOs: There is in
At national level, and in co-operation with UNESCO. Vietnam the Association of Vietnamese Folklorists.
To prepare a comprehensive policy that covers all the This NGO Association has played an important role
varied disciplines of our folklore is our need. in co-operation with governmental institutions,
Involvement of UNESCO in it and assistance from it especially, in the several above mentioned
will strengthen our resolve and strengthen our efforts. movements.
Expertise of and the esteemed organization and
financial assistance will be very welcome.
Pakistan
At national level: need for a consolidated
programme of awareness, involvement of
communities.
At regional level: interactive forums for
information sharing as the problems in the region are
similar.
In co-operation with UNESCO and in co-operation
with specialized NGOs: Standardization, consultancy
services, technical and material support.
P.N.G.
At all level, particularly at the regional and provincial
level, and in close cooperation with UNESCO and
specialized NGOs.
Philippines
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Asia-Pacific Database on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH)
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Asia-Pacific Database on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH)
by Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU)
bearer of the property, and the date of designation. Lao P.D.R. n/a
Completion of the data bank is scheduled for Malaysia Yes
sometime during the fiscal year of 1998, and the Maldives No
Agency plans to make it available in Japanese via the Mongolia No
Internet on its home page in the fiscal year of 1999. Nepal No
Lao P.D.R. Yes Pakistan Yes
Malaysia No P.N.G. No
Maldives No Philippines n/a, Only partial.
Mongolia No Rep. of Korea Yes
Nepal No Sri Lanka No
Pakistan n/a Thailand Yes, Co-ordinated
P.N.G. n/a nationally.
Philippines Yes Viet Nam No
Catalogues at the National Library of the Philippines.
Cultural Center of the Philippines, public and private
museums, and university databanks.
Rep. of Korea No 5 (d) Is your country encouraging the
Sri Lanka No creation of a standard typology of folklore?
Thailand No If yes, at what level?
Viet Nam Yes - national
Databanks contain the video tapes, audio tapes, photo, - regional
textual materials, for traditional/folklore ceremonies -
festivals, habits and customs, music, dance, theatre Yes 13 n/a
5%
form, epic story-telling, singing... No 6
No
The recent batabanks in Viet Nam are belonging to n/a 1 30%
Yes
65%
the Vietnam Institute of Culture and Arts Studies and
the Institute of Musicology.
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Asia-Pacific Database on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH)
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Mongolia
1) The Cultural Heritage Centre (government
agency) has two sections. (a) the registration-
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Asia-Pacific Database on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH)
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information database and (b) registration of the If no, indicate the required measures:
historical and cultural monuments (items) and - at national level
architectural monuments. - at regional level
2) The National Center for the Intangible Cultural
Heritage (NGO) (a specialized organization for the Yes 8 n/a
intangible cultural heritage only) No 10 10%
Yes
3) The specialized museums (national history, n/a 2 40%
natural history, religious, traditional and modern fine No
arts, theatre and so on.) 50%
4) The provincial governments have their primary
units of the registration- information database.
5) The Research Institutes, universities, institutes
Bangladesh No
have their own collection funds.
At national level: A National Folklore Academy
Nepal n/a
with a central folklore archives in Dhaka and
Pakistan
regional archives should immediately be instituted.
Lok Virsa is the only institute.
Regional archives could also be formed under tribal
P.N.G. n/a
cultural institutes.
Philippines
Bhutan No
Through the National Museum, Library, National
At national level: Establishment of a proper archive,
Commission on Culture and the Arts and academic.
data bank development, research, recording of oral
Rep. of Korea n/a
tradition, and inventorying have to be carried out.
Sri Lanka
At regional level: The National Archive should
Department of Cultural Affairs, media institutions
have linkages with information available in the
and Department of National Archives.
regions.
Thailand n/a
Cambodia Yes
Viet Nam
China n/a
a) Archives: Now, we have only two small archives
India No
in two above-mentioned Institutes for
At national level: Coordinated (and not
traditional/folklore culture and music. Existing
overlapping) strategic at both levels and a general
infrastructure for the conservation of folklore: We
consensus on goals, through a process of interaction
have two CD-ROM (audiovideo) studios in Viet Nam
and consultations, as suggested at 4-c).
Institute of Culture and Arts Studies and Institute of
Indonesia Yes
Musicology.
Iran No
b) A central national archive function: We wish to
At national level: This task can not be achieved by
establish a central national archive function.
only one organization and should be complemented
c) Folklore sections in museums: We have folklore
by in NGOs, youth, women, Radio, TV, etc., through
sections in the National Museum of Ethnography and
the regional cooperation with relevant institutions in
in the National Museum of Minorities Culture.
neighbouring countries.
d) Presentation: We give precedence of presenting
Japan n/a
traditional and popular cultures emphasizing their
Lao P.D.R. Yes
living aspects in programme of National and
Malaysia Yes
Regional TV and Radios, in the cultural life of
Maldives Yes
people.
e) Collecting and archiving methods: We have not Mongolia No
yet the harmonization of collecting and archiving They do not meet the necessary needs of our country
methods. because the corresponding Law regulating the
f) Training: The training courses for conservation relations in the field of the intangible cultural
of folklore are organized at regional level by the heritage have not been adopted.
Association of Vietnamese Folklorists four times Nepal No At national
annually, mainly for popular folklorists. The level
professional specialists are trained in regional Pakistan No
highschools and national colleges of Culture and Arts. At national level: Sub-national level institutions
g) Availability: We have not enough both should be set up.
professional specialists and popular folklorists to At regional level: There should be coordination and
assure the availability of folklore materials to the interaction between such institutions at regional level.
regions and cultural communities directly concerned. P.N.G. No
At national level and at regional level
Philippines Yes
6 (a)-add At national level: More generous government
Does it meet your country's needs? support for work and institutions in this area; more
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guarantee the right of access for the compulsory and not adequate.
communities concerned to their own culture; (c) Philippines Yes
set up a co-ordinating body for the preservation Mainly in school curricula, especially of
of folklore composed with the representations of anthropology, Philippines studies and literature.
the groups concerned; (d) provide moral and Rep. of Korea No
However, there exist a related field such as Korean
economic support for individuals and
literature and culture
institutions promoting folklore; (e) promote Sri Lanka Yes
research. Folklore is a component of the subject "Social
Studies" in school curricula.
7 (a) Does your country run courses on Thailand Yes
folklore in school or out-of-school curricula? Children's songs and games, folk tales, folk songs
If yes, describe the courses: and folk dances
Viet Nam Yes
Yes 12 n/a Kindergartens: Children's songs and games, folk tales
No 6 10% are in curricula.
n/a 2 No Yes Primary schools: Folk songs, folk dances, folktales,
30% 60% folk games are in curricula and in-school and out-of-
school activities.
Secondary schools and high schools: Folk songs,
folk dances, folktales, folk poetry.
Universities: Faculty of folk literature, faculty of
Bangladesh No
folk customs.
Bhutan Yes
Colleges of Culture and of Arts: Faculty of folk
The study of National History, culture, folklores from
music, folk dance, folk theatre.
important component of school/college syllabus.
Cambodia Yes
The basic course given at the Fine Arts School and at 7 (b) Does the national legislation of
the secondary schools: technic of body expression your country ensure the right of access for
and of performing. the communities concerned to their own
China Yes culture? Please illustrate with examples:
Courses in history departments, Chinese language
and literature departments in the universities and Yes 16 n/a
No 1 15%
colleges, as well as institutions for nationalities; No
special courses in the arts schools and colleges, n/a 3 5%
Yes
music conservatories, etc. 80%
India Yes
Courses in various arts and crafts, conducted in
schools as well as out of school, by various
government and non-government organizations. Bangladesh Yes
Indonesia No Our Constitution provides that "The State shall adopt
Iran No measures to conserve the cultural traditions and
Japan n/a heritage of the people, and so to foster and improve
The Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and the national language, literature and the arts that all
Culture is implementing the Education Program for sections of the people are afforded the opportunity to
the Promotion of Traditional Culture. contribute towards and to participate in the
Lao P.D.R. Yes enrichment of the national culture".
Promote research Bhutan Yes
Malaysia No - The regional folk activities are given the required
Maldives No encouragement and support by the government.
Mongolia n/a - Efforts have been made to document traditional
Nepal Yes folklore and made them available to all the regions.
Tribhuwan University runs courses on folk songs and - Decision to preserve and promote regional folklore
folk dances, etc. at certificate and diploma levels. and taken at the highest level and circular to this
Pakistan Yes effect are issued to all the concerned individuals and
Only in one university one course on folklore is groups.
offered. There are otherwise no courses offered in - Financial support is provided where required.
schools or out of school curricula. Cambodia Yes
P.N.G. Yes Everybody can access easily without any special
At primary and secondary schools but not
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authorization.
China Yes
Yes 10 n/a
No 7 15%
Regulations on the preservation of ethnic and folk Yes
cultural traditions of the People's Republic of China. n/a 3 No 50%
India Yes 35%
Indonesia Yes
We have national constitution (UUD 1945) to ensure
the right to access for the communities concerned to
their own culture. Bangladesh No
Iran Yes Bhutan Yes
All ethnic groups in Iran enjoy equal cultural rights. The council for Cultural Affairs is fully responsible
Japan n/a for the coordination of the preservation of folklores.
The meaning of the phrase 'the right of access for the Cambodia No
community concerned to their own culture' is unclear. China No
However, if it refers to the existence or non-existence India No
of legal restrictions on participation in activities Indonesia No
related to folk performing arts, there are no such Iran No
restrictions in Japan. Under national traffic laws, Japan Yes
however, certain restrictions may apply to Performers organizations in every branch of the
performances in case of using public roads. Japanese performing arts, including the traditional,
Lao P.D.R. Yes belong to the Japan Council of Performers'
Constitution (Preservation of ethnic culture) Organizations and many groups that perform Noh,
Malaysia Yes Bunraku, Kabuki, and traditional Japanese music and
Different races in Malaysia such as Malay, Indian, dance are members. The All Japan Municipality
Chinese and other races have a freedom of practicing Federation for the Conservation and Promotion of
their custom and culture without any interference folk Dance and Music has about 400 members while
from government. organizations involved in transmitting folk
Maldives Yes performing arts belong to the Japan Folk Performing
Mongolia n/a Arts Association.
Nepal Yes Lao P.D.R. Yes
Pakistan No There are paracouncil as Institute of Research on
P.N.G. Yes Culture with 6 activities (Literature, Linguistics,
It is enshrined in our Constitution. Tradition and Belief, Arts and Handicrafts, Music
Philippines Yes and Performing Arts)
Festivals, media coverage, publications, etc. There Malaysia No
are exhibits on the national and local level. Maldives Yes
Rep. of Korea Yes There is a body, established at national level for the
The national legislation promotes the local protection of cultural heritage, not specifically for
involvement in this regard. folklore.
Sri Lanka Yes Mongolia n/a
Constitutions have assured this right. Section 14(e) Nepal n/a
of the Constitution says that every citizen has the Pakistan n/a
right to enjoy his culture and develop it. Only Lok Virsa exists and operates for preservation
Thailand Yes of folklore in Pakistan.
Viet Nam n/a P.N.G. Yes
The right of culture's access for the communities is a The government established National Cultural
paragraph of the National Cultural Law which will be Commission responsible for the promotion,
examined and approved by the National Assembly protection, development and preservation of PNG
during 1998 year. traditional and contemporary culture.
Philippines Yes
Philippines Folklore Society (a national association
7 (c) Is there a National Folklore Council of scholars and enthusiasts) holds national folklore
or similar co-ordinating body for the congress every four years open to public participation.
preservation of folklore in your country? If Rep. of Korea Yes
yes, provide additional information (name, A sub-committee, consisted of 30 specialists,
functions, main activities, etc.). Describe conducts necessary research for the possible
to what extent the representatives of the intangible cultural properties for designation.
groups concerned participate in the Sri Lanka Yes
activities of the body: Separate panel under the art council is in operation.
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Asia-Pacific Database on Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH)
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Representations from all community groups in this 7 (d) What kind of moral and economic
panel are available.
support is provided in your country to the
Thailand Yes
individuals and institutions promoting
The government established the Office of the
National Culture Commission, responsible for the folklore?
promotion, dissemination, development and - by legislative measures
preservation of Thai traditional culture. - through state support (subventions)
Viet Nam Yes - through support of private funding
The Vietnam Institute of Culture and Arts Studies - through the mass media
(Ministry of Culture and Information); the Institute of - other means
Folklore (National Centre of Social Sciences); the Bangladesh
Association of Vietnamese Folklorists (NGO) through government support
Bhutan
Establishment of infrastructure where required salary
for staff members, providing training.
Cambodia
Through support of private funding
China
By legislative measures
Through sate support (subventions)
Through support of private funding
India
Grants are given by the government to institutions in
various fields, remuneration is offered for training,
and recognition in the form of awards and cash prizes
is accorded for individual achievement. private and
corporate funding are also available in several fields,
and media coverage of the arts has greatly increased
in late years.
Indonesia
by legislative measures, through state support
(subventions), through support of private funding,
and through the mass media.
Iran n/a
Japan
Under the Law for the Protection of Cultural
Properties, traditional and folk performing arts are
designated as Cultural Properties and those of
particular value are designated as Important
Intangible Cultural Properties and Important
Intangible Folk-cultural Properties. Subsidies are
provided from the national treasury to support
performances of those that are so designated.
We do not know, however, any details concerning
the designation of Intangible Cultural Properties or
the provision of necessary financial assistance under
the ordinances enacted by each prefecture, city, town
or village.
In the private sector, there are also some corporations
which support cultural properties by honoring
performers, documenting performances, etc.
Lao P.D.R.
through the mass media (the positive ones)
Malaysia
By legislative measures; through state support
(subventions); through support of private funding;
through the mass media, financial aid, moral support
and facilities aid.
Maldives
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The government does support promotion of cultural the State Nationalities Affairs Commission, and
property. Through state support (subventions). China Federation of Literature and Arts Circle in
Through the mass media 1984. The collection includes folk songs, local
Mongolia n/a operas, Quyi, folk dances, folk stories, folk ballads,
Nepal folk proverbs, folk instrumental music, etc., divided
The State financially supports regularly to according to the government's administrative areas.
organisations and institutions and engaged in Each province collects a series of the kinds
preservation of folk music, folk dances and classical mentioned above. 450 volumes in total, still in
and traditional dances. process. By 1997, 122 volumes published.
Pakistan n/a India Yes
P.N.G. Research has resulted in the preservation of various
Most are government funded and established. arts and crafts which would otherwise not have
By legislative measures; through support of private survived socio-economic upheavals. The folk arts
funding; foreign aid (Australia) support; Foreign Aid are displayed in the cities. Some of the art forms
(JICA) identified as rare have been again put into the main
Philippines stream of traditional arts.
By legislative measures; through state support Indian handicrafts, which are now thriving, or
(subventions); through support of private funding; Ravanchhaya, a form of shadow puppetry, which has
through mass media and others. been resuscitated in late years.
Rep. of Korea None Indonesia Yes
Sri Lanka The Project of Inventorisation and Documentation of
National honours are awarded to individuals Local Culture, Directorate of History and
involving in this field, also when they become Traditional Values, Directorate-General for Culture
disabled financial assistance are granted. has documented and published the research result
Thailand until 1977.
By legislative measure and through state support, Iran Yes
private funding, mass media and other means. - Improved efficiency
Viet Nam - Reduced loss
Weekly programme on TV and radio (national and - Enhanced promotion
regional). Annual award for the works of collecting, Examples: publication, film, exhibition, museum...
researching, disseminating and teaching folklore with Japan Yes
the total sum equivalent US$30,000 from national The Folk Performing Art Exigency Survey,
budget. The Association of Vietnamese Folklorists implemented in each prefecture through subsidies
is assigned by the Government to examine and offer awarded by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan,
the awards. provides essential data used by the nation or
prefecture to determine appropriate measures for
preservation, including designation as a cultural
7 (e) Has research work contributed to
property.
the preservation of folklore in your country?
Lao P.D.R. Yes
If yes, indicate the type of improvement: Preserving by written ("Booklore"), by oral records
Please give examples: (tape, cassette and video record) [Examples] Institute
If no, indicate the reasons: publication in booklore (tales), oral stories, Katoo
n/a
tales and others......
Yes 14 Malaysia Yes
10%
No 4 Promotion of dying intangible culture, Preservation
No
n/a 2 20% Yes of Malaysian folklore. [Example] The publication
70%
of literature materials, The formation of folklore
groups.
Maldives No
There is an acute lack of qualified personnel and
Bangladesh No financial constraints, restricting research in folklore.
Bhutan Yes Mongolia n/a
To some extent. Increased awareness and Nepal Yes
appreciation through information dissemination. Research is there but scant. Nevertheless it has
Cambodia No created awareness in the people.
China Yes [Example] Through research in the lifestyles of
Compiling of 10 collections and Annals of Chinese aborigines nomadic people educated societies and are
Ethnic and Folk Traditional Literature and Arts, taking keen interest in the former's well being.
launched and organized by the Ministry of Culture, Pakistan Yes
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Folklore is now informally recognized to be an meetings and exchanges; (g) to ensure that a
integral part of culture. proper approach to and respect for traditional
[Example] Folk songs, folk music and other folk cultures are given in view of their dissemination.
performing art forms are gaining popularity.
P.N.G. Yes
publication but very little. 8 (a) Describe major folklore events held
Philippines Yes in your country after 1989 (fairs, festivals,
It has been protected from irretrievable loss; it has films, exhibitions, seminars, training
been widely disseminated through school curricula; courses, etc.)
and creative artists have used it for new creative - Indicate the manner of their coverage by the
works. It has also raised public awareness of the mass media;
value of folklore.[Example] Textbooks now carry - Indicate the manner of their promotion other
folklore materials. Restoration of folklore artifacts than mass media:
is undertaken. Collections are published widely.
New theater creations have been produced. Bangladesh
Bangla Academy and Sonargaon Folk Art and Craft
Rep. of Korea n/a
Foundation have been organising folk festivals,
Folklore can not be preserved in a specific (form),
training courses, seminars, folk song sessions, etc.
and their performance is liable to vary. It is to
every year since 1985. [mass media coverage]
maintain written and performed records by research
National mass media covers these events with much
work. [Example] Audio and visual aids and written
emphases. [other than mass media] Intellectual
records help to preserve its authentic form and style.
communities, NGOs and tradition conscious people
Archives are also used for academic and research
help promote these cultural events by way of taking
purpose.
part and sponsoring.
Sri Lanka Yes
Bhutan
Research programmes leading to post-graduate
(1) There are local festivals called tsechus which are
degrees are conducted in universities.
performed each year in each of the 20 provinces of
Thailand No
Bhutan.
Viet Nam Yes
(2) Chronological arrangement of exhibit at the
-To highlight the awareness of the authorities,
National Museum is in the process.
leadership and people for the important role of
(3) Book fairs (low key) at least once every year.
folklore in the national culture's development.
(4) A majar arts and craft festival in 1996.
-To enrich and renew the content of teaching folklore
(5) Folk drama competition by different artist groups
curricula in schools and universities.
(1997).
-To revitalize various kinds of folklore in the people's
[mass media coverage] Coverrage is mostly by radio
cultural life guaranteeing their authenticity and
and newspapers.
cultural values.
Cambodia
Festivals. Training at some schools.
DISSEMINATION OF FOLKLORE China
Chinese Folk Arts Festival (1989, 1991, 1993);
8. It is essential for the items that make Chinese Folk Wedding Show (1992); International
up the traditional and popular culture to be Handicraft Week (1997); Exhibition of 10 Chinese
widely disseminated so that the value of folklore Artisans' Exquisite Works (1997); International
and the need to preserve it can be recognized. Symposium on 3 Great Epics; Manas (Kirgiz), Gesar
To promote a fair dissemination, it is (Mongol, Tibet), Jianget (Mongol), etc.
recommended to Member States : (a) to India
encourage the organization of different folklore Every year national-level festivals are organised by
events and their presentation to the public using Central Akademis, regional-level festivals and
seminars are organised by Zonal Centres, State
every means of information; (b) to promote
Akademis and State Departments of Culture, besides
broader coverage of folklore material in mass numerous events organised by non-government
media by creating an appropriate infrastructure; organisations.
(c) to support or create a co-ordinated system of [mass media coverage] Many of these events are
dissemination of the intangible cultural heritage covered by radio and TV and get an increasing share
at the various levels; (d) to encourage the of space in the print media. Some of the festivals
production of education materials and their use are directly telecasted and others get fairly wide
at various institutions; (e) to ensure the coverage in press and mass media.
availability of adequate information on folklore Indonesia n/a
through different institutions; (f) to facilitate Iran
Some of the examples: Fajr Festival (every year
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Bhutan No
Cambodia No
Yes 3 n/a Yes
China No
No 13 20% 15%
India Yes
n/a 4
A separate TV channels has been set up to No
65%
disseminate traditional art forms. Non-government
channels are also regularly disseminating Indian
Culture.
Indonesia n/a Bangladesh No
Iran Yes Bhutan No
Regular radio and TV broadcasts concerning all Cambodia No
aspects of popular life. China n/a
Japan n/a India No
There is no agency undertaking centralized collection Indonesia n/a
and preservation of data and audio-visual Iran No
documentation of traditional and folk performing arts Japan n/a
throughout Japan or presentation of such materials to The Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan, subsidizes
the public. However, the Agency for Cultural studies on and documentation of folk performing arts,
Affairs, Japan, has been supporting the programmes as well as programs to increase public appreciation of
of selection of intangible cultural properties and folk the same.
cultural properties which need documentation, as Lao P.D.R. No
well as the programmes of making documentation by Not yet. mass media (column for tales)
itself or providing subsidies for documentation by Malaysia No
local authorities of such properties of such properties. Maldives No
Lao P.D.R. No (not yet) Mongolia n/a
Malaysia No Nepal No
Maldives No Pakistan No
Mongolia n/a P.N.G. No
Nepal No Philippines Yes
Pakistan No (this has been covered above.)
P.N.G. No Rep. of Korea Yes
Philippines Yes Administrative and public units at national level.
Through the "Cultural Awareness" programs for the Sri Lanka Yes
NCCA and its cultural dissemination committee. 1. Press, radio and television
Cinema often carries folkloric themes. 2. Ministry of Cultural Affairs and Department of
Rep. of Korea No Cultural Affairs at national level and provincial
Sri Lanka No cultural ministries.
Thailand No [examples of recent innovations/improvements]
Viet Nam Yes Documentation centre at national level started in the
Besides the weekly program on TV, and Radio, there year 1997.
are activities of the club of traditional music, club of Thailand No
traditional theatre, club of traditional poetry and Viet Nam No
folktale telling. These activities are broadcasted
monthly on TV and Radio. 8 (d) What are the education materials
available in your country in view to
8 (c) Is there an extended co-ordinated disseminate traditional and popular culture?
system for the dissemination of folklore in Bangladesh
your country? If yes, indicate its Some NGOs developing education materials based
components in terms of: on folklore and traditional culture.
- mass media Bhutan
- administrative and public units (national/local (1) The oral tradition is very rich (2) Texts for
level) schools/institutes developed by the Education
- documentation, information and dissemination Division (3) Recordings in the hagiographies and
institutions biographies (4) Texts on folk songs, music and
Give examples of recent innovations and performing arts (5) Folk tales (6) Texts on
improvements in this system: indigenous arts, etc. (7) Text for indigenous people
Cambodia Through radio
broadcasting
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exhibitions, seminars and other cultural forums (3) traditional and popular cultural expression?
Dance and drama competitions
Cambodia Yes 9
They should be arranged by Ministry of Culture and No 4 n/a Yes
Fine Arts and Royal University of Fine Arts. n/a 7 35% 45%
China n/a No
India 20%
Both government and non-government institutions
organize workshops for artists to promote dialogue Bangladesh No
among artists. Festivals of arts also provide Bhutan Yes
opportunities for cultural exchanges. Besides, there Cambodia No
are specific schemes to promote such exchange, e.g., China No
the Inter-State Cultural Exchange Programme India Yes
conducted by Sangeet Netak Akademi. The Department of Culture at central and state levels
Indonesia n/a are authorized to monitor this to some extent. But
Iran since there is a multiplicity of disseminating agencies
- Festivals (e.g., the media), effective check can not be exercised
- Educational courses about concept of folklore. in all spheres.
Japan Indonesia n/a
The Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan, subsidizes Iran n/a
the National Folk Performing Arts Festival and the Japan No
Block (Regional) Folk Performing Arts Festival. In Lao P.D.R. Yes
addition, the Japan Arts Council supports By the Research Institute (cultural research)
programmes in the folk performing arts throughout By inventory, publication and appropriate
Japan such as the National Local-Kabuki Summit and dissemination.
the National Puppet Theater Summit. Malaysia Yes
Lao P.D.R. Ministry of Culture, Arts and Tourism
There are several policy for culture (ethnic) de facto Maldives Yes
general measures (constitutions, specific resolution) Ministry of Information, Arts and Culture
for culture, competition, festival. Mongolia n/a
Malaysia Nepal n/a
By organizing festival which consists of meeting, Pakistan Yes (None except
forum, dialogue and performance Lok Virsa)
Maldives n/a P.N.G. n/a
Mongolia n/a Philippines Yes
Nepal n/a The UNESCO Culture Committee, the NCCA, and
Pakistan the Philippines Folklore Society.
Some festivals and fairs provide venues and forum Rep. of Korea n/a
for folklore artists to meet. Sri Lanka Yes
P.N.G. n/a Ministry of Cultural Affairs
Philippines Thailand Yes
Seminar-workshops, conferences on the local level, Viet Nam n/a
congresses on the national level, with access to On basis of researching results on above Institutes
various public and private venues. and Association, the Ministry of Culture and
Rep. of Korea No Information manages the folklore revitalization and
Sri Lanka activities in country.
Provision of conferences facilities such as conference
halls, publicity.
PROTECTION OF FOLKLORE
Thailand
Seminars and workshops
Viet Nam 9. Folklore, as intellectual creativity,
- Through the regional and national festivals, deserves to receive intellectual property aspects
competitions, seminars and workshops. and other legal protections. The Member
- Through the regional and national fairs. States are invited to: (a) take account of the
work accomplished by UNESCO and WIPO on
8 (g) Is there any body which is in a the "intellectual property aspects" of the
position to check whether a proper protection of folklore expressions; (b) protect
approach is applied for the dissemination of the rights of the informant and the collector of
tradition (protection of privacy and
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confidentiality); (c) protect the collected annual folk festivals and invite prominent folk artists
materials against their bad conservation and from all over the country. Folk artists get some
misuse. honourium for their performances.
2. Government gives annual pensiones to outstanding
folk performers of the country.
9 (a) Does the national legislation of 3. Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy appoints master
your country contain provisions on the folk artists as resident artists for training young
"intellectual property aspects" of traditional artists. They get handsome monthly salary.
culture and folklore? Bhutan
(1) The state provides institutions for artistically
Yes 12 n/a inclined individuals to learn and excel in their
No 4 20% interested fields. (2) The state provide job
n/a 4 No
Yes opportunities. (3) The state provides patronage and
60%
20% subsidies. (4) The artist enjoy high social status and
they are given full freedom to express the way they
want to.
Cambodia None
Bangladesh Yes China n/a
Our Constitution provide that "The State shall adopt India
measures to conserve the cultural tradition and The State and the private sector both provide some
heritage of the people, and so to foster and improve amount of patronage in terms of performance
the national language, literature and the arts that all opportunities, job opportunities and funding for
sections of the people are afforded the opportunity to training in arts. The economic and social status is
contribute towards and to participate in the variable - very high and very low.
enrichment of the national culture". Indonesia n/a
Bhutan Yes Iran
Cambodia No - Economic = government
China Yes - Social = government, mass media
India Yes - Legal status = official recognition
Indonesia n/a Japan
Iran No Under the Law for the Protection of Cultural
Japan n/a Properties in the category of Intangible Cultural
This is handled under the Copyright Act. Properties, recognition is given to bearers of skills in
Lao P.D.R. Yes traditional performing arts who embody the highest
Malaysia Yes level of their art and the Agency subsidizes their
Maldives Yes efforts to train others to carry on these traditions.
Mongolia n/a Known as "Living National Treasures", these bearers
Nepal No are held in great respect by the general public.
Pakistan No Lao P.D.R.
P.N.G. Yes, but very vague. from the private sector by publishing of books or
Philippines Yes activities
Rep. of Korea n/a Malaysia From the state
Sri Lanka Yes Maldives From the state
Thailand Yes Mongolia n/a
Viet Nam Yes Nepal
As a paragraph from the National Cultural Law From the state and from the private sector. This
support is occasional. Some folk artists, especially
singers get employed at mass media and music and
9 (b) What kind of support do folklore dance groups.
artists in your country enjoy? (economic, Pakistan
social and legal status): From the state and state-sponsored institutions but far
e.g. - from the state too inadequate.
- from the private sector P.N.G. Very little
- none Philippines
Through a limited amount of direct and indirect
Bangladesh
subsidy, and recognition of intellectual property
From the government and National cultural
rights.
organizations.
Rep. of Korea
1. Bangla Academy, Bangladesh National Museum,
They are supported economic and legal status from
Sonargaon Folk Art and Crafts Fundation organize
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The Office of Cultural Properties also purchases the They are legally protected under the Law for the
works of traditional values and provides them to the Protection of Cultural Properties.
public institutions. Lao P.D.R.
Sri Lanka Nationally: workshops for sensibility of public
National Archives and Broadcasting Co-operation opinion
Thailand n/a Regionally: workshop
Viet Nam Malaysia
By governmental rules and National Civil Law. Nationally: By formulating of National
By the right to contribute materials to the archives of Conservation and Preservation Policy to protect
responsible institutions. traditional culture.
Maldives
Regionally: As indicated regional cooperation
9 (e) What measures, in your opinion,
would certainly improve collection, documentation
are needed to enhance the legal protection and appreciation of folklore.
of traditional culture and folklore or to adapt Mongolia n/a
it to new circumstances? Nepal
- nationally Nationally. With the assistance of UNESCO, WIPO
- regionally and specialized NGOs
- with the assistance of UNESCO, WIPO and Pakistan
specialized NGOs Nationally: (a) through an act of parliament, (b)
Bangladesh through acts by provincial legislation.
Nationally: With the assistance of UNESCO, WIPO Regionally: through regional assemblies.
etc. Regionally. With the assistance of UNESCO, WIPO and
Bhutan specialized NGOs: Through international
Nationally: The national mechanism should provide institutions for member countries to be signatories so
the necessary legal framework and other support for that such measures become obligatory and mandatory.
the protection of traditional culture, which at the P.N.G.
same time must have space for the cultural dynamism Nationally. With the assistance of UNESCO, WIPO
to adapt and assimilate under changed/changing and specialized NGOs.
circumstances. Philippines
Regionally: The regional legal mechanism should Nationally: More effective implementation and
protect the interest of minority expressions and enforcement of existing legislation and regulations,
culture. plus more generous incentives for folklorists and folk
With the assistance of UNESCO, WIPO and artists. Regionally: Networking, integrated
specialized NGOs: The UNESCO as such must legislative agenda, and active regional exchange of
continue to provide umbrella guidelines/ framework idea. With the assistance of UNESCO, WIPO and
for the protection of traditional culture and folklore. specialized NGOs: Organizing, coordination,
Such guidelines and recommendation should be subsidy, consciousness-raising.
flexible and adaptable to different needs, situations Rep. of Korea Nothing
and circumstances. However, where required, the Sri Lanka
UNESCO should also be in a position to provide With the assistance of UNESCO, WIPO and
fund support. specialized NGOs: When people are moved to new
Cambodia settlements, special attention should be drawn to
Nationally and regionally. protect traditional cultures.
With the assistance of UNESCO, WIPO and Thailand
specialized NGOs. Nationally; with the assistance of UNESCO, WIPO
China n/a and specialized NGOs.
India Viet Nam
The prerequisite is overall economic development Nationally: To approve and distribute as soon as
and enhanced economic status for traditional artists. possible the National Culture Law. To have bigger
They must have a higher bargaining power or else budget for this field. To organize the National
sell their products cheap. Folklore Council to manage and co-ordinate the
Indonesia n/a activities of various folklore institutions.
Iran Regionally: To establish Regional Centre for
Nationally: through governmental support of NGO preservation, promotion and dissemination of
and individuals traditional/folklore culture.
Regionally: through the regional cooperation with With the assistance of UNESCO, WIPO and
relevant institution in neighbouring countries. specialized NGOs: To organize the international
Japan exchange on materials, experiments, scholars,
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10. Apart from "intellectual property" 11. In view to intensify cultural co-
approach, can you think of other measures operation and exchanges in the field of
to protect "folklore"? If any, please explain. traditional culture and folklore, Member States
Bangladesh are particularly invited; (a) to co-operate with all
Creating social consciousness; - NGOs could play a organizations concerned and in all spheres of
significant role. folklore through exchanges, training, bi/multi-
Bhutan No lateral projects, etc.; (b) to co-operate to ensure
Cambodia internationally that the various interested parties
The better way is to create a core group in national enjoy "neighbouring rights"; (c) to guarantee
level that can be sponsored by different organizations. Member States the right to obtain copies of
China n/a collected materials; (d) to ensure the prevention
India of folklore from misuse, damage and destruction.
Creating social consciousness about the value of
folklore and dissemination of folk arts. Long-term
public-education programme is necessary to bring 11 (a) Can you provide information on
about such consciousness in the country. bi/multi-lateral projects and actions carried
Indonesia n/a out in the field of traditional and popular
Iran culture by your country?
If existing provisions are properly implemented, no Bangladesh
additional measures are needed. Ford Foundation and NORAD helped our country
Japan immensely to build Folklore projects with some
The Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties American universities and Scandinavian academies
Lao P.D.R. (University of Indiana, Bloomington, Finish
Stimulate research, collect, publication (book) Academy, Nordic Institute of Folklore, Chinese Folk
Malaysia n/a Literature Society, etc.).
Maldives n/a Bhutan
Mongolia n/a (1) SAARC Regional Cultural Exchange
Myanmar Programmes in which Bhutan plays an important role.
Nepal n/a (2) The Quadrilateral Sustainable Development
Pakistan Agreement signed between Bhutan, Netherlands,
- Folklore should be part of the educational Benin and Costa Rica regards culture as the basis for
curriculum. sustainable development. (3) Bilateral cultural
- Perpetuation of crafts and arts through formal and exchange programmes with friendly countries in the
informal education. form of; (a) exchange of performing artists (b)
- Infrastructure facilitating folk performances. exchange of expertise, etc.
- Strong support by the media specially the electronic Cambodia
media. We have no bilateral projects for exchanges in the
P.N.G. Agreement field of folklore, but sometimes the Team of Royal
Philippines Fine Arts University is to be invited to perform in
Sustained and continuing transmission of the skills Japan, and in some European countries.
and art responsible for the creation of folklore. China n/a
Rep. of Korea n/a India
Sri Lanka n/a Department of Culture would be in a position to
Thailand No supply relevant information.
Viet Nam n/a Indonesia n/a
Iran
Cooperation with the Anthropological Department of
Leiden Museum (Netherlands) concerning traditional
and folklore costumes in Iran
Japan
Since fiscal 1996, the Agency for Cultural Affairs,
Japan, has held the International Festival of Folk
Performing Arts in three different locations in Japan,
inviting artists from three Asian nations to perform
with Japanese artists.
Lao P.D.R. n/a
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of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Vietnam's [Examples] Sending officers and staff for culture
Minorities" and the Meeting on the same topic for training, Meeting of ASEAN countries of traditional
Hue region, held by UNESCO, Paris, 1994 in Hanoi culture
and in Hue. Maldives
- With various programs of ASEAN Commission on We do take part in festivals of SAARC countries.
Culture and Information (COCI) Mongolia n/a
Nepal
11 (c) In what concrete fields and There are regular exchanges of cultural troops at
SAARC level and festivals and shows.
activities of traditional culture does your
Pakistan
country co-operate with other countries of Only through festivals and that too is limited to
Asia? Research, Festival, etc. Please SAARC, ECO, OIC(Organization of Islamic
give examples: Conference) and Developing Eight Countries.
Bangladesh [Examples] Symposium, cultural parades, folklore
Bangladesh government has bilateral cultural pacts performances, Asian Assembly of World Crafts
with some Asian countries. Council, folk art festivals
Bhutan P.N.G. n/a
(1) Exchange of folk-performances and arts (2) Philippines
Exchange of expertise in the area of restoration and Crafts, dance, costume and music [Examples]
maintenance of cultural sites and monuments. (3) In Indicated above.
the area of museology (4) In the field of conservation Rep. of Korea n/a
of very old murals and paintings. Sri Lanka n/a
Cambodia Thailand
- In the field of silk weaving preservation. Projects under the ASEAN Committee on Culture
- Research and promotion on silk worm breeding and Information, in the field of literary studies
China n/a ASEAN studies, visual and performing arts, such as:
India ASEAN Studies: ASEAN Folk Literature: An
India has cooperated with other Asian countries both Anthology, Directory of ASEAN Museums
in organizing festivals and conducting research on Visual Arts: Research, Documentation on
arts. The specific fields include performing arts, Indigenous Art Materials
visual arts, literary studies, etc. Performing Arts: ASEAN Artists-in-Residence,
Examples: International Festivals of Dance, Music Theatre/Dance Festival, Composers Forum on
and Puppetry (involving Asian and other countries) Traditional Music
organised by Sangeet Natak Akademi, the Ramayana Viet Nam
Studies seminar organised by Sahitya Akademi, As mentioned in the above 11 (b)
various programmes organised by Indian Council for
Cultural Relations, etc.
Indonesia n/a
Iran
Art festival, exhibition....
Examples:
- participation in the Islamic Arts Festival of
Malaysia, 1990, 1994
- participation in the Islamic Arts Festival of Pakistan
- Italy, Japan, Korea, Germany, England
Japan
Since fiscal 1996, the Agency for Cultural Affairs,
Japan, holds the International Festival of Folk
Performing Arts in three different locations in Japan,
and invites performers of three different Asian
countries.
Lao P.D.R. ASEAN.
[Examples] Nursery rhymes and chants by Thailand,
ASEAN traditional festival by Viet Nam, Textiles
exhibition and symposium (workshop/publication by
Malaysia)
Malaysia
Festival of Asian Folklore, Organising meeting,
workshop, Co-ordinating projects on culture
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traditional heritage is facing crisis and the for those who collect and compile local works of
danger of being destroyed or lost. traditional culture. But there are difficulties in
While carrying out laws and regulations for the areas such as Irian Jaya, where there are 106
preservation of culture, we often meet problems ethnic groups, and we are trying to preserve the
and difficulties. The major problem is folklore there.
financial.
7. IRAN
5. INDIA The earlier emphasis was on monuments and
India has many ancient and varied performing immovable cultural heritage. But now there is
art traditions which are still very much alive interest in the exchange of ideas and transfer of
today. There are epics, classical, folk, knowledge regarding preservation of intangible
traditional and tribal music, songs, dances and cultural heritage. There is a need for the
theatre carried out mainly by oral traditions. assistance of experts and facilities for
These forms have been documented from time to ethnological research. The wide scope of
time to some extent but the effect of accelerated cultural heritage is too much for a single agency,
modernization can be seen on them with the and society itself in all its layers needs to
passage of time. Modern mass media participate in the preservation of its own culture.
communication is also spreading information on Today there are some 20,000 public and private
folk performing arts throughout the world. persons participating and cooperating with the
There are many governmental institutions Iranian cultural heritage organization in its 27
involved in traditional arts. The Sangeet Natak branches throughout the country. Higher
Akademi is very active in promotion, education is involved, and there are research
dissemination and preservation of these centres in Anthropology.
performing art forms especially those which are
on the verge of extinction. 8. JAPAN
Attention to traditional artists is paid the form of Japan has cultural property laws. In 1950 a law
(1) fellowship and award, including money, was made to protect non-tangible heritage .
given for recognition of their services to art; (2) Protection is in the form of recognition of living
provision of Medical Insurance; (3) human treasures, and providing funds for
documentation of various traditional art forms is training of successors. Thirty groups have
normally done in their region/village; (4) been selected for subsidies, and there are
presentation of these artists in various festivals and rituals, and the Prefectures are
programmes organised by the government or cooperating.
non-governmental organisations; (5) financial But successors are a problem because the
support for training in traditional performing arts carriers of the intangible cultural heritage are
especially those forms which are on the verge of aging. The ministry of Education is helping.
extinction, by giving honorarium to teachers and But the performing arts are distorted by the
stipends to students. media and publicity people. There is an urgent
But much still needs to be done. need to train successors to the living treasures.
Archives, media, and publishers publish, but
6. INDONESIA coordination and networking are needed.
The works of experts on traditional arts have
been published, and the government has 9. LAO P.D.R.
published many of them -- many of them being We used to classify our traditional people as
found in foreign collections such as in Leiden. "lowlander, uplander, and highlander." Since
In 1972~73, UNESCO published books on 1992 we have recognized there are many ethnic
traditional arts during the international book griyos; but we still do not know how many there
year. Others have been published on are. There are also sub-ethnic groups. In
Sundalology, Malayology, etc. There are 1983 an institute of research was set up.
institutions such as the museums of folk arts Culture must be official and national, but there
devoted to Wayang, textiles, etc. are no clear standards. Traditional culture of
The 1945 Constitution provides that it is the task the 14th century appears not to have undergone
of the government to promote national culture, much change today as may be in the case of the
and this law is the basis of the cultural Pali manuscripts.
administrative system. There is also training
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But there is this problem of evolution today and There is an association called "Mapa" to
there is a danger of losing traditional arts. But promote traditional, as well as modern
we are behind in research, and there is difficulty performing art. The main problem is of funds
in identification. and professionals.
REMARKS
Among the common concerns seem to be the
following:
1. Need for central coordinating agency
in many countries for the preservation and
promotion of traditional arts;
2. Need to identify and collect/record
traditional arts;
3. Need for training of professionals to
undertake the task of recording, documenting,
archiving, and promoting traditional arts;
4. Need to protect the rights of traditional Group 2
artists since they are not covered by the
copyright laws;
5. Need for more funding to support
preservation and promotion as well as training
personnel and experts in preservation and
promotion;
6. Need to make the communities
concerned take on the task of preserving their
own cultural heritage;
7. Need to restore the interest of younger
people in the preservation of their community's
artistic traditions, and control the negative
effects of foreign culture on the preservation and
transmission of culture;
8. Need for recruitment and training of Group 3
successors to the aging carriers of traditional
culture; and
9. Need for control of excessive
commercialization and negative effects of some
forms of tourism.
There is also a recurrent theme: the countries
need the help of the UNESCO at various levels.
Group Discussions
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Titles of lectures
- Pakistan
"Video and TV as Media for Documentation of Non-
physical Heritage"
"Classical Dance in Pakistan"
"Recording and Dissemination of Music"
"Culture and Identity in Modern Times"
"Documentation of Dance"
"Dance and Documents - Their Mutual Influence on
Preservation"
"Cultural Documentation through Photography"
"Recording Traditional Dramatic Performance"
- Thailand
"Video Documentation of Traditional Performing
Arts"
"Video Documentation of Non-physical Cultural
Heritage"
"A World of Future Rooted in Tradition"
"Documentation of Visual Information Materials"
"The Essence of the Video Documentation"
"Elements of Art Direction for Documentary
Film/Video Production"
- Viet Nam
"Recent Situation regarding Intangible Cultural
Heritage"
"Recording Intangible Cultural Heritage on Film"
"Audio Documentation of Intangible Cultural
Heritage"
"Preservation and Promotion of Intangible Cultural
Heritage"
- Lao P.D.R.
"Cultures and Laotian Culture"
"The Situation of Documentation and the Use of
Equipment for the Preservation and Promotion of
Intangible Cultural Heritage in Laos Today"
"Needs for Documenting Body Movements and
Sounds in Expressive Performance of Traditional
Asian Cultures"
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promoted
The preceding paragraphs have dwelt upon
overall situation of our traditional/folk Items so far identified and defined by Bangla
performing arts in brief, giving some idea about Academy folklore department and other
the problems in this filed. However, we outline individuals and regional organisations are of
below some of the major problems detected, wide variety. This includes manuscripts and
though hastily; audio-video documentation of songs, musical
1. lack of concerted efforts for defining, performances, dances, body movements,
identifying, inventing, documenting and dramatic performances, festival presentations,
preserving the traditional/folk performing arts of debates, recitals and instruments used for the
Bangladesh; purpose. Some of the items are combination
works admixing songs, dialogues, body
2. absence of a central folk organisation movements and instrumental effects, such as
that would coordinate the works done at regional, Gambhira and Kavigan.
subregional and tribal levels by individuals,
volunteers, researchers and regional study Gambhira is popular in the northern part of the
groups and organisations; country, having its origin in Chanpainawabganj.
Ganbhira is performed on stage through
3. lack of adequate trained personnel, question and answer between a grand father and
researchers, specialists and academicians for his grandson, both of whom act and sing out
defining and distinguishing the genre and their statements moving from one end of the
materials and equipment related to it; stage to the other with attractive body
movements. The topic is generally some
4. lack of scientific preservation facilities contemporary incident of public interest.
and archival systems;
Kavigan is one of the most captivating
5. lack of systematic indexing of the performing arts of rural Bengal from time
items identified and collected so far; immemorial. Kavigan or Poet's song is also a
stage performance of two poets debating on
6. lack of uninterrupted follow-up of some popular themes of public interests such as
workshops and educational facilities on the male and female, hindu and muslim, village and
subject; town and the like. The poets improvise their
questions and answers, while they are assisted
7. absence of a full-fledged folklore by their followers who encourage the poets
department or a folk study centre in any of our repeating a refrain along with beating dhols or
universities; drums. This genre is slowly dying out because
of electronic media capturing every nook and
8. lack of planned interactions and corner of the country.
contacts among field workers, researchers and
actual performers at regional and interregional Songs include a wide variety such as marriage
levels; songs (Howla in Chittagong and Cox's Bazar,
Dhamali in Dhaka), religious songs (Jari or
9. absence of a long-term perspective song s making the Muharram festival,
plan to preserve, reinvent, remodel and recycle maizbhandari songs, devotional songs), crop
the existing performing arts through interactive song (sari, while planing paddy), mystic songs
practices with similar items from neighbouring (baul) etc. Dance is often performed in leto or
or other countries of the world; gheto and it is an integral part of every yatra,
which is one of the most ancient and popular
10. lack of patrons; and dramatic performances of this Gangetic delta.
In fact, yatra is an archetype of modern stage
11. lack of fund. play. All kinds of performing arts generally
take place in dry seasons, when people have
5. Some cases of traditional/folk little to work in the field. The night is the
performing arts to be preserved and proper time for the expectant crowd who enjoy
these performances.
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established with support from UNESCO and animals were plentiful and, cut across by several
other appropriate agencies, who would provide fast flowing rivers, the accessibility from one
fundamental academic cooperation apart from place to another was difficult. The given
monetary assistance. Prior to that, a geographical situation led to the development of
comprehensive survey may be conducted with different local cultures.
specialists from home and abroad. The
recommendations they make may be The 7th Century A.D. saw the construction of
implemented in phases after proper re- two of the oldest Buddhist temples, Bumthang
examining and re-evaluating within a given Jambay Lhakhang and Paro Kyichu Lhakhang,
period. in Bhutan. In the 8th century, a tantric
Buddhist Master, Guru Padma Sambhava from
Bhutan India, visited and propagated Tantric Buddhism
in Bhutan. From the 9th to the 17th Century, a
Mr. Phuntsho large number of renowned Buddhist Saints and
Under Secretary Sages from neighbouring Countries visited
Special Commission for Cultural Affairs Bhutan and established Buddhism firmly in the
Bhutanese Soil.
1. Brief Chronology-history of the
preservation and promotion of The Buddhists masters, while converting the
traditional/folk performing arts in your Bon believers to the Buddhist faith did not
country meddle with local cultures, hence the local
people were able to gradually assimilate the
Buddhist beliefs into their local folds. The
Prior to 7th Century A.D., that is, before the Buddhist brought with them the Buddhist ritual
advent of Buddhism in Bhutan, Bonism, a form dances and beliefs.
of animistic worship, prevailed in the country.
Traces of this ancient beliefs are still prevalent In the 7th Century, Zhabdrung, the Unifier of the
in some areas of Bhutan today. The Bons, i.e. Bhutanese Nation had to wage several wars both
the practitioners and followers of Bonism, to appease internal conflicts and resist external
worshipped the forces of nature such as the sun, aggressions. As a result the enactment of war
moon, mountains, trees, lakes, rivers and spirits. dances and sports such as archery became
It was believed that all manifestations of nature important parts of Bhutanese Culture.
have their spirits and, all natural occurrences
such as the eclipses, appearances of comets, Bhutan today, with just an area of 46,500 Km2
floods, fire etc. have direct bearings on the lives and 600,000 inhabitants, has 19 dialects, 3 major
of beings, especially the human beings. The languages, different ethnic groups and several
spirits of the nature must be worshipped and local cultures. Buddhism is the main string that
appeased by making offerings and other ritual cuts across both physical and cultural boundaries
performances. Nature must be maintained in in Bhutan.
their pure state and man can take from Nature
only that is enough to meet his basic needs. 2. Categories/types of traditional/folk
Pollution of the forests, lakes and streams can performing arts and fond in your country.
infuriate the spirits and hence cause illnesses and
other problems to human beings. Such nature There are four major types of performing arts of
friendly beliefs led to the development of all Bhutan. Each type has several ramifications.
manners of worship and performing arts. The The categories are outlined in the Chart as given
use of phallic symbols and objects, as indicative below:
of the creative and regenerative forces, and
sometimes animal sacrifices are very common in
this belief system. Thus the performing arts
based on Bonism are the earliest and most
primitive form of performing arts in Bhutan.
in 450 volumes and written in 500,000,000 Although we do have same laws and regulations
Chinese characters. Till now, the amount of for the preservation of our culture, while
people working on the project has raised to more carrying out them, we often meet some problems
than 50,000. Up to the end of 1997, 122 and difficulties. The biggest one is financial
volumes and 150,000,000 Chinese characters are problem. China is still a developing country,
published. This great collection has been the first priority is to solve the problem of
noticed by friends around the world, and people's living, and budgets for the cause of
scholars from the country; and abroad call it culture (including folklore and other intangible
"The Cultural Great Wall of the Chinese cultural heritage) could not be much. So, when
Nation." we do something on the preservation, the
problem of financial shortage is always there
2) Another example is something about and sometimes we can not do as we supposed to
the place where I work, the Music Research do.
Institute of Chinese Academy of Arts. For 40
years, the Music Research Institute has been We are glad to attend this meeting, and we wish
regarding the collection, recording, storage and to strengthen the cooperation, exchange and
classification of Chinese music data as its basic friendship between colleagues in the countries of
task. It has developed a professional centre of Asia-Pacific region. We are also eager to learn
music data with about one thousand ancient about your experiences in order to improve our
Chinese music books and scores, one hundred safeguarding and preserving the intangible
music periodicals published in this century, two cultural tradition of our country.
thousand hours of music recording tapes and
several hundred musical instruments of different India
dynasties and minorities. Among the most
treasured material in the centre are seven Mr. Subhash Chand Bansal
thousand hours' musical recordings. Just like Deputy Secretary (Documentation)
other Chinese folklore heritage, the music is Sangeet Natak Akademi
transmitted orally by generations of folk
musicians, and now the folk singers and players The performing art traditions of any country
who sang and played the beautiful music have could be dated to its origin. India has a long
mostly died, even the musicians who made the tradition and cultural heritage. Centuries old
recordings have mostly not survived, so they are traditional temple based Sanskrit dance drama
very precious. Here I would like to let you are prevalent in various parts of India even today.
listen to a piece of folk music for only five In India folk dance, music and theatre is part of
minuets. It is recorded by the late director of the life of the rural and tribal people.
our Institute Professor Yang Yin-liu when he Ritualistic element is also evident in
visited a famous blind folk musician Ah Bing. folk/traditional/tribal dances and music of our
This folk artist from Wuxi could play hundreds country. In most of our folk performing arts
of pieces composed by himself, at that time he the theme is generally drawn from mythology
played only five pieces for Prof. Yang, and he and ancient scriptures/pieces. These have been
agreed that Professor would come again half a carried through centuries from generation to
year later to record more pieces. Unfortunately, generation by oral tradition. Earlier these were
Ah Bing passed away before the time, bringing documented in form of cave paintings,
all the music with him. Professor Yang also sculptures, inscriptions, manuscripts an other
died a few years ago. But this piece "Er Quan written material. During this century these
Ying Yue" (The Moon Mirrored in the Spring forms have been documented by photographs,
Fountain) is a popular piece in the country and films, discs, magnetic tape and audio-video
well known in the world. recording etc.
Happily, in 1997, this part of Chinese Today the culture is experiencing the effects of
Traditional Music Sound Archives has been accelerated modernisation. The freedom of
honourably listed on the inclusion in the expressing ourselves has brought changes in our
"Memory of the World" Resister of UNESCO. culture, life style and its values. The fact
technological progress has brought people close
Of course, there is a long way for us to go. to each other thus enhancing scope for sharing
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their culture. In India this change has become performers and performing arts scholars with
predominant. The cultural groups of various Awards and Fellowships. The Fellowship
regions are performing in different areas and carrying a purse of Rs. 40,000/- is the highest
have interaction with each other. The impact honour the Akademi confers on an individual
of Folk Performing Arts of one region can easily performer or scholar and the Awards carrying a
be seen on the Folk Performing Arts of other purse of Rs. 25,000/- are for artistic excellence,
region thus deviating from their own tradition. achievement and sustained contribution.
Also the cinema, television, cable and Ad
agencies have great role in influencing these The Documentation Unit of the Akademi,
changes. equipped with sophisticated audio and video
equipment, covers many of the major
Union of India comprises 25 State and 7 Union programmes of music, dance and drama
Territories. There are Government bodies throughout the country. Over the years the
which are run by the Central Government and Archival collection has grown considerably.
the States are governed by the respective State The Akademi has over 6,000 hours of audio
Governments. The Government organizations recordings, over 3,000 hours of video, some
dealing with culture directly are the following: 125,000 photographs (B&W/Colour) and
transparencies, and 150,000 feet of 16mm films.
Material structure: Archaeological Survey of
India, National Archives, National Museum etc. The Audio-visual Library & Book Library, open
to the public continues to be widely used by
Performing Arts: Department of Culture, students, scholars and media. Its specialized
Akademies of Art and Culture, Sangeet Natak holding of books, discs, audio/video cassettes on
Akademi, National School of Drama, Indira Indian performing arts can be utilised free of
Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, Indian cost.
Council for Cultural Relation, Centre for
Cultural Resources & Training, Zonal cultural The Museum of Musical Instruments continues
centres and State Akademis. to attract visitors, particularly those interested in
Indian folk/tribal instruments of which it has a
Sangeet Natak Akademi, the apex body for the rare-unexampled collection as also of masks and
performing arts of India is mainly engaged in puppets. There are several rare folk/tribal
preservation, promotion and documentation of musical instruments in its collection.
classical, traditional/folk performing arts. Over
the years the Akademi has implemented several Kathak Kendra at New Delhi and Jawaharlal
programmes and schemes for the purpose of Nehru Manipur Dance Academy at Imphal are
preserving, nurturing and promoting the training institutions in Kathak and Manipuri
performing arts in various parts of the country. dance and music - are constituent units of the
Priority has been given to projects pertaining to Akademi. They are now recognised as the
the folk and tribal arts threatened by rapid socio- premier institutions in the country for teaching
economic impact. Kathak and Manipuri dance.
Several other schemes, designed by the Akademi In India number of non Governmental
to sustain and promote specific performing arts, institutions have also undertaken the work of
are now part of Akademi's plans. Among these promotion and documentation on performing
are Assistance to Young Theatre Workers, arts by way of collecting audio/video recording,
Organising Music, Dance Festivals, Grant of films, still photographs, slides, and publications
Fellowships of promising young artistes, etc. To name a few established institutions are:
Documentation and Dissemination of Archival National Centre for the Performing Arts,
Material pertaining to Performing arts, Financial American Research Centre, Sangeet Research
Assistance to Cultural Institution, and Inter-State Academy, Indian National Theatre, Shruti,
Exchange of Cultural Troupes. Also special Natya Shodh of the documentation work on the
care has been taken to sustain rare art forms performing arts carried out by these institutions
which have been identified by Akademi. is mere collection. Detailed information is not
available at any one point. Sometimes it
Annually, the Akademi honours outstanding becomes difficult to gather information due to
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lack of communication, language, time and other The Akademi has identified Kutiyattam and
factors. Chhau dance forms of Seraikella, Mayurbhanj &
Purulia as artistic traditions that appear to be
Many institution and field experts have languishing for want of support.
developed questionnaires for documenting the
performing art forms including the socio- The Akademi envisages systemic transmission
economic conditions of the performers. It is of these art forms through training under great
easy to collect data on classical music, dance Gurus (Teachers) and subsidizing the regular
and theatre but it becomes difficult to get data on performances. These programmes are being
the folk/traditional and tribal arts. implemented under a scheme for establishing
National Centre for specialised training in music
The documented material should not be used for and dance.
any purpose without the consent of the artistes.
The social and economic interest of the artistes Great efforts are being made to save and sustain
should be safeguarded. the rich cultural heritage of our country on
Government level and by private organisations.
Out of the selected documentation, audio/video But still a great task is ahead to accomplish.
cassette of festival, performances could be
prepared which could be made available on Songeet Natak Akademi - New Delhi
nominal charges for general use. This will help Holding & Archival collection up to December, 1997
the students, scholars and even artistes. This
will also generate interest about our own Total Audio Recording 6197 Hrs.
tradition in common people and make them Total No. of Audio Tapes/Cassettes 6600 Nos.
aware about these art forms. (6250 + 350)
Total video recording 2966 Hrs.
In order to sustain/promote and support these Total No. of video tapes/cassettes 4690
Folk Performing Art forms, the Akademi is
regularly organising festivals of traditional No. of B&W and colour photographs 118360
performing art forms in the regions and also
outside. Sometimes programmes on thematic No. of colour slides 34850
basis e. g. Lok Utsav : Festival of folk
Silent film material 1.5 lakh
performing arts, Bhakti-sangeet : Festival of
devotional music, and also Festival of traditional No. of Video/Film produced 18
puppets. Also exhaustive Lecture- No. of Documentary films 1/6 mm 64
demonstrations by eminent 'Gurus' (Teachers) is
No. of Books 20814
documented from time to time.
No. of journal received 100 per year
The Akademi gives financial support for training No. of Disc 9678
in forms of music, dance & theatre which are no No. of C. D. 142
longer widely practised. Honorarium to
veteran teachers and stipends to students are No. of Audio (Commercial) 1424
offered to ensure new recruitment to these art No. of Musical instruments, masks, and 1450
forms and training is conducted through puppets
traditional teaching learning process. Progress Displayed in gallery of Musical 250
of the training is regularly monitored. The Instruments
Akademi has supported training in instrumental
music e. g. Pakhawaj, Nagaswaram, Naggara,
Murali & Satara (rare musical instruments).
Young artistes from family of traditional
musicians and Gharanas (Schools) have also
been extended financial support for making the
musical instruments. A training programme for
making musical instruments is now operative in
Rajasthan (North-Western part of India).
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The Directorate of Art which is also under the further fostering and developing traditional
Directorate-General for Culture, also preserves music in Indonesia.
and promotes various performing arts; it also
does research and video recording on various The festivals are, as a matter of fact, an
traditional music. More than 200 video anticipation to the declining or even much worse,
recordings have been produced by this the demise of various traditional arts.
Directorate on traditional music from all over According to the Director of Art, Mr. K. M.
Indonesia. To the honourable participants we Saini, in 1950 the Sundanese theatre in West
would like to inform you that publications have Java was supported by around hundreds of
been implemented already for several years, groups, but now there are only a few groups left.
especially on folk tales. Balai Pustaka, which These groups have no permanent place to
is the Ministry of Education and Culture's perform, they are moving from one place to
Publisher and Grasindo Publisher (of the PT. another, and have become the wandering
Gramedia-Kompas Group) have published folk Sundanese theatre groups. The same is the fate
tales in serial form also bilingual folk tales in of the Javanese wayang orang (wayang
English and Indonesian. The Grasindo performed by human beings) and ketoprak
Publisher has a unique way in publishing folk (traditional Javanese theatre). There is also a
tales. The English language serial is also decline in the number of people who come to the
presented with an English language teaching people's theatre Sri Wedari in Solo, and it seems
method. that the theatre groups Ngesti Pendowo of
Yagyakarta is also fading away.
Folklore in its art performing manifestation took
place in some provinces. Bali, in the last two The problems which are actually obvious are the
decades, annually holds festival on performing ones related to the younger generation. They
art from all over the province. In these are more attracted to better arranged performing
festivals there is also an exhibition on Balinese arts, easy to be absorbed and not consuming a
handicrafts. lot of time. This no doubt has to do with the
development in the multi-media communication
In the last four year, the province of Nusa technology. Information on performing arts
Tenggara Barat (Western Lesser Sunda Islands could easily be obtained through the radio,
province) has also organized festival on its art television, film, laser disc, video compact disc
and culture. During these festivals a lot of art and the internet. This situation, indeed, does
activities took place, i. e. performing arts, not make it easy to preserve traditional/folk
exhibition and a seminar on art of local culture performing arts.
of the province.
The provinces, of South Kalimantan and Aceh III. Future Subjects on the Preservation
also have activities on folklore, although only and Promotion of Traditional/Folk
occasionally. The Timor Timur Province Performing Arts
(Eastern Timor) beginning this year organises a
festival on art and culture and a variety of Considering the above-mentioned problems (II),
folklore will be performed. As in the previous the following items will be given special
year, i.e. in December 1997, The Directorate of attention, i. e. preservation and promotion to
Art arranged a festival on Indonesian traditional folk tales, traditional medicine, traditional
music at the Taman Budaya (Cultural Park) in architecture, traditional food, and traditional
East Java. This was an important occasion, theatre. The folk tales have a high degree of
since it was attended by participants from value, since it is a source for identity, locally or
throughout Indonesia. Every participating nationally. Traditional medicine is also very
group presented its local traditional music. important, since amid the development in
technology nowadays including medicine, the
The aim of this national festival is to promote traditional medicine in certain circumstances
and exchange ideas and experiences among the could be useful as an effective alternative.
artists; it is also aimed at widening horizons in
understanding and appreciating traditional arts. The traditional architecture also is given special
From these festivals a lot of data may be attention, since in the present development, and
complied which can be evaluated and used for
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certainly in the future, the need to obtain a shared patrimony can be observed through in
reasonable change which is sustainable has inconceivable resemblance and affinities in
become the more important. The preservation styles, techniques of manufacture, fashions as
of traditional architecture presents comparative well as materials used for construction of
materials to meet the need in developing future buildings or in the making of objects. Utilising
housing. Traditional food needs to be given similar techniques and materials in making or
more attention, this is not only caused by the creating objects is a clear manifestation of this
increasing popularity of foreign food, but it is cultural harmony.
very useful in the diversification of nutrition and
health. Last but not least, is the traditional Without any doubt, it is only through
theatre, which because of modernisation and cooperation that the ultimate goal of
communication stimulates its decline or demise. preservation of cultural heritage can be achieved.
The exchange of ideas and the transfer of
Iran knowledge and experiences, and eventually
potentials, will not only lead to a better
Mr. Behrooz Vojdani understanding and awareness of cultural heritage
Director among our peoples, but also contribute to
Department of the Social Anthropology upgrading our knowledge concerning the
Iranian Cultural Heritage Organization treatment, consolidation, restoration,
rehabilitation and maintenance of cultural
Introduction remains. Regional cooperation is one of the
best ways for attaining this important goal.
The concept of cultural heritage has gone
through a rapid development during the past two Common cultural bonds and similarities between
centuries. In the earlier phase, most attention handicrafts, customs, traditional arts, and
was given to major public buildings, such as techniques in the countries of Central and
religious properties, palaces, castles, or Western Asia and the need for exchange of ideas,
archaeological monuments, including the views and experiences, as well as implementing
Pyramids of Egypt, the monuments of Palmyra, the policies of UNESCO in supporting regional
and Persepolis. Following the general collaboration and activities, brought about the
developments in the nineteenth century, the suggestion that cooperation in Central and
question of protecting cultural heritage has Western Asia should be encouraged. This was
achieved international dimensions. willingly accepted by the Islamic Republic of
Considering that culture and development are a Iran. We will place all our potentials, cultural
result of 'cross-fertilisation' of ideas and and technical abilities at the disposal of our
influences between people, it has been neighbours with the aim of exchanging ideas and
understood that products of culture which are experiences and fulfilling our duty to humanity;
cultural heritage resources, also have 'universals and thereby to use the experiences of others in
significance'. better protection our own cultural heritage.
One of the world's richest and oldest collections Conserving and protecting the cultural heritage
of cultural heritage lies in Western and Central and preserving and maintaining ancient
Asia. In this region there is a common buildings and artifacts and historic sites,
historical and cultural background shared by all supporting and encouraging artists active in
the peoples living in this area. Over the ages, various fields of traditional arts, proving the
the flow of goods, idea, technologies, as well as necessary possibilities for the enhancement and
artists and merchants, have caused innumerable development of indigenous arts, assisting
common manifestations which are reflected in experts and researchers to hold mobile
our movable and immovable cultural heritage. exhibitions and museums, providing the
Hence, most of the traditions and customs found facilities required for ethnological research and
in Iran can also be seen in Central Asian creating the grounds for the transmission of
countries. India is another good example cultural heritage concepts to the public, and , in
where one can see this common emergence of general terms, introducing the unfamiliar aspects
common cultures and customs and all of cultural heritage to the public, require the
divergences blending and co-existing. This dedicated cooperation of the country's entire
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governmental fundamental, executive and For next year, ICHO's ethnological research
development planning; centre is planning to hold the first assembly
・Benefiting from the achievement of these entitled "Nowrooz and Popular Culture," with
research projects in determining future the aim of introducing this ancient festival and
developments in the cultural evolution of the its cultural status in Iran and its neighbouring
inhabitants of the Islamic Republic of Iran. countries.
The first collection of Iranian stories, classical Pilgrimage sites and holy centres bear particular
following the international code of tales, will be importance in various cultures. The project
published in the near future. These stories have concerning the ethnology of pilgrimage sites is
been collected in past years by ethnological aimed at understanding the cultural status of
experts in the country's 25 provinces. This these sites. This project deals with pilgrimage
collection included the following books and will sites in the large sense, including mausoleums
become available shortly; tekiehs, fountains, trees, etc. which bear a holy
meaning and are associated with particular
- Stories for all; rituals in popular beliefs. This project has
- Stories for children; already been implemented in several provinces
- Analytical books on stories for and will be continued in others in the years to
researches. come.
In this project, all traditional rituals and Throughout the world, bazaars are associated
ceremonies throughout the country are studied. with the name of Iran and traditional bazaars
The research method used in this domain is rank among the specific features of our country's
based on solar and lunar calendars and cover all culture. Owing to the importance of this
of man's productive activities between his birth economic-cultural institution, the project
until his death. In order to preserve and concerning the ethnology of Iranian bazaars has
disseminate Iranian traditional rituals and been included in the series of ethnological
ceremonies, a number of these have already been research projects. The bazaars of Tabriz and
recorded in the form of video representations. Orumiyeh have already been researched and
those of Qazvgin, Shiraz, Esfahan, Yazd and
ICHO's ethnological research centre, taking Kerman are being studied and will be researched
advantage of the coincidence of the month of next year. In this context, the first congress
Moharram with the International Museum Day concerning the survey of bazaars in the culture
(also called International Cultural Heritage Day and civilisation of bazaars in the Islamic world
in Iran), held the first assembly entitled was held in Tabriz in 1993 with the participation
"Moharram and Iranian Culture" on May 18th of Iranian and foreign scholars who had carried
and 19th 1997, with the aim of preserving and out research in this domain.
introducing the Islamic values involved in the
country's popular culture. 7. Man, environment, science
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Within this project, the presence of water has Ethnology of traditional Iranian tribal
been studied in all dimensions of man's life and habitations
culture. Thus, the main river basins of Iran and
the outstanding relevant cultural topics have Habitation is one of the most tangible and most
been studied. More than 40 research projects complicated cultural manifestations, which is
have been implemented in this domain and the related with the various dimensions of man's
data collected will be published in the form of a material and spiritual life. Iranian habitations
collection as soon as these are summed up. assume various forms in function of
environmental conditions and cultural
These researches have resulted in the creation of contingencies. Therefore, studying them in
a "National Museum of Water," which will be ethnological terms is most important in
realised jointly by the Ministry of Energy with determining the boundaries of cultural areas.
the cooperation of the Iranian Cultural Heritage In this context, seven research programs have
Organization. been completed in tribal regions of Iran and
more are planned for the future.
9. Ethnology of Iranian costumes
Traditional and folkloric performing arts in
Ethnological researches on Iranian costumes Iran
were carried out, as a comprehensive project, in
1995 and an exhibition entitled "Ethnology of A. Popular performances
Iranian Costumes" was held in April 1996, on
the occasion of the Cultural Heritage Week. Generally speaking, all manifestations of
popular culture somehow involves in theatrical
In studying the ethnology of Iranian costumes, representation rank among popular performing
all available materials, observances and beliefs, arts. It is also notable that all popular
rituals and traditions, arts and professions, performing arts fall in the category of popular
production and consumption methods and social arts, even if some of them may have also found
relationships and contingencies are interrelated. their way into aristocratic arts and elements from
aristocratic arts may have been included in them.
In view of the conspicuous position of clothing Consequently, except in rare cases, popular
in the domain of culture, its exact ethnological performing arts have seldom been recorded in
study provides considerable criteria for the category of official culture. The most
appreciating social and cultural changes and significant common features of popular
orientations, allowing useful cultural and social performing arts are the following:
planning to be made.
1. The scene is located amidst the people;
2. Their origins lid in the beliefs and
perceptible factors of the people's lives;
3. The actors are not professional, in the
sense that they do no earn a living form these
performances;
4. The performances are simple and
unostentatious;
5. They reflect new problems arising in
the society in simple terms;
6. The performances do not follow
written text, although they fall within
determined general frameworks. In other
words, the overall framework of the
performances is determined, but the dialogs, as
well as some secondary scenes, are improvised
(with the exception of ritual declamations);
7. The actors come from the lower strata
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Iranian performing arts embody a wide spectrum Music, poetry (text) and scenic representation
of representations. Of course, because of are the main, inseparable components of the
particular conditions, many popular ta’zieh. The music of the ta’zieh can be
performances may take place in open air, but evaluated in two distinct, instrumental and vocal,
this does not constitute a dividing criterion. domains. Both are intimately related with the
The criteria determining the categories of textual contents and the scenic elements, and
popular performing arts depend on the elements fulfill different functions. The main element of
involved in the plays themselves. These are: the music of the ta’zieh is its vocal performance,
which is based on the songs and modes
1. Ritual performances; established in the course of centuries.
2. Religious performances;
3. Puppet performances; Several musical elements can be distinguished in
4. Rural performances; the music of the ta’zieh. The most important
5. Merry, humorous performances; among these lies in the modes of traditional
6. Single-player performances; Iranian music, which constitute its fundamental
7. Acrobatic performances; structure. The presence of various figures with
8. Female audience performances; different roles and characters, as well as the
9. Animal performances; changing scenes and images in accordance with
10. Masked performances; the context of the narrative, cause the traditional
11. Simulated animal performances; music of the ta’zieh to benefit from ample
latitude and possibilities in expressing varied
All these forms of popular and folkloric and occasionally contrasting moods and wide-
performances are preserved and disseminated ranging modulations in the characters' vocal
mainly by local populations. Of course, such dialogs.
factors as cultural and artistic policies, economic
and social changes, mass media, etc. can The presence of folkloric melodies and songs in
contribute to the preservation or the annihilation some ta’ziehs cannot be disregarded. Besides
of these arts. ta’ziehs performed in the central regions of Iran
in the past and the present, the performance of
B. Ta’zieh (Iranian national and ta’ziehs in Fars, Azarbaijan, Gilan, Mazandaran
religious dramatic musical performances) and other regions was, and still is, accompanied
with local songs and melodies alongside
Literally, the term ta’zieh means mourning codified music. Folkloric music is also found
rituals held in commemoration of deceased dear both in the framework of ta’zieh songs and
ones, but it refers specifically to a type of performed with such instruments as the sorna,
religious performance with particular rituals an the karna and various types of dohol and
traditions. These embody various arts, naqareh in the framework in instrumental music.
including music, scenic representation (with all
its theatrical aspects) and poetry or prose. Recitation
Rather than a simple, determined cultural
phenomenon originated in any particular historic Another category of ta’zieh music consists of
period, the ta’zieh came into being along musical recitation, which dates back to ancient
centuries, in result of various social, religious, times and is derived from such performances as
cultural, artistic and philosophical factors. It is qavvali, musical narration, Avasta-khani and
the outcome of a gradual evolution, rather than rowzeh-khani.
the product of the creative genius of a
determined individual. The ta’zieh is the Naqqali
upshot of the evolution of other types of
mourning ceremonies known under such
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- Seven thrones (1994); there are "lion dances" in Korea, China, and
- Mirror and song (1995); Vietnam, to name a few from many, some being
- Iranian epic music (1997). materially similar and others dissimilar (TABLE
2).
Besides holding festivals of local and traditional
Iranian music, the musical unit organises various TABELE 1 Material animals expressed in "lion
research and educational musical programs dances" of Japan: a few examples in rough
distribution
accompanied with stage performances. This 鹿 ika[shika] deer Iwate prefecture (north Japan)
unit has also published numerous cassette 麒麟 kirin unicorn Tottori and Hyôgo prefectures
albums and books with the aim of preserving (west Japan)
and promoting traditional and folkloric Iranian 獅子 ssi [shishi] lion Okinawa prefecture (south
music. Japan)
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prosperity of the region (though this is not their Japan in Hanoi and, at the same time, to the
ultimate objective). Tottori people, because I knew from my
experiences with Vietnamese culture,
Every year, in October, they hold what they call particularly with the court music traditions
the "Unicorn Dance Festival (Kirin Fiesta) in the preserved in the city of Hue that "unicorn
famous tourist' spot, Tottori Sakyû (the "Sandy dances" - precisely speaking "bi-corn" dances -
Hills") along the beaches facing the Japan Sea. exist in Vietnam as an item of traditional court
Here unicorn dances from many parts of the dance, though again, in a form, so to speak,
prefecture are performed in forms which I have transcontextualised from the original royal court
termed "transcontextualisation," namely not which is now extinct. (Later, as a matter of fact,
necessarily adhering to authentic performance in early January this year, when I visited Hue for
styles. Certainly, these transcontextualised another purpose, I was fortunate enough to
performances are planned and implemented in witness a folkloric type of "unicorn dance" -
addition to traditionally prescribed religious really "unicorn" this time.)
functions of Shinto shrines in their respective
locales. Through the experiences of My proposal was welcomed by both sides: 1)
performing the dances (on the performers' side) the Tottori people, who are pleased to find their
and watching them (on the audience side) all the cultural counterparts in a foreign country.
people present at the site can enjoy the unicorn Consequently, they are in the process of
dances as representing different types from establishing their own fund for this purpose.
different parts of the prefecture. Even though Of course, it may happen that some kind of
they are genealogically closely interrelated, the sponsorship, though a portion of the whole
minute or major differences between them are budget, may be offered to them; and 2) the Hue
appreciated by performer and observer alike. people (eventually some Hanoi and Ho Chi
Minh City people also - I am not yet sure at this
Indeed, this is the intended "comparative moment), were equally pleased to find their
perspective," which helps preserve and promote cultural counterparts in Japan and promised that
traditions of performing arts for contemporary they would try their best to welcome the Tottori
and future roles which differ from their original people if they are successful in implementing the
ones. At any rate, the people concerned with plan.
these activities in Tottori are quite aware of the
fact that their "lion dances" are rather different LAO P. D. R.
from those in other parts of Japan, although
similarities can be observed between them such Mr. Khampheng Ketavong
as in the accompanying musical instruments and Vice Director
the choreographic styles. In other words, the Institute for Cultural Research
Tottori people are clearly conscious of their Ministry of Information and Culture
cultural identity in relation to the adjacent or
remote subcultures within Japan. This is the Present Situation; Traditional/Folk
status quo of the unicorn dances in Tottori. Performing Arts
The unicorn dances of Tottori may possibly be The situation regarding raditional folk
performed in Vietnam in autumn this year. performing arts in Laos is complex. For
Under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture simplicity, we can observe these arts from two
and Information of Vietnam and the Embassy of perspectives: listing their dramatic components
Japan in Vietnam (located in Hanoi), a number -- music, song and dance -- before attempting a
of cultural exchange programmes are being historical analysis of their evolution from their
planned throughout this year in various parts of origins to the present.
Vietnam in order to commemorate the 25th
anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Being a mountainous, multi-ethnic country, Laos
two countries. The unicorn dances of Tottori has a rustic but diverse tradition of folk drama.
are being planned as one of the items selected on As a landlocked part of "Indochina," its culture
the basis of my personal proposal. is partly a minor offshoot of the "superior"
cultures of China and India. However, through
I myself made this proposal to the Embassy of centuries of adaptation and creativity
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Lao Music Mouth Organ Airs/32 Mokhaen air chart 1. The martial dance, or 'Fon Cheuang' --
"Sabra Dance" -- a self-defense 'fighting' dance
which is mentioned in the 17th-century text of
the Thao Cheuang epic, where it says that it was
performed by the King of Ngeun Nhang as the
"Thao Xum" dance.
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Maldivians enjoy Bodu Beru on happy occasions. There are not many folk artists bearing the
Be it a welcoming programme, organised for and above-mentioned forms and genres of the
official inauguration, or on a stage show, even in Mongolian folk performing arts. Some of them
Tourist Island you can hear and see, and dance have died and some are becoming very old.
with Bodu Beru. We bring Bodu Beru parties Due to modernisation, urbanisation, and
to our homes too, on occasions like the industrialisation many valuable types of the
circumcision occasions of boys and on the Mongolian traditional culture and folklore are
seventh day of childbirth. being forgotten and now face a prospect of
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dying out with older generations. dominates, so it is difficult to hear the difference
between the morinhuur and the voile.
It may be said that not only the natural ecology
but also the cultural ecology of Mongolia is very Today the social environment including the
sensitive, so it can easily fall under outside folklore and traditional culture are modernising
influence. at high speed.
The idea that most parts of folk and traditional In this case if we wait for the time of financial
culture belongs to the religions and oppressive possibility and lose the boundary of the 20th and
classes and the subsequent neglect of them as 21st centuries or the next 5-6 years, we shall
remainders of a past society led Mongols under meet the threat of a complete loss of numerous
the one-party ideology during the valuable types of the intangible cultural heritage,
postcommunist regime to accelerate the above unique monuments of the nomadic culture and
process. civilisation.
In the present, as our country changes from a Since 1990, as a result of the spread of
socialist society to an open society, we are democracy across Mongolia, the important steps
liberated from the above-mentioned burden of have been taken towards the creation of a legal
ideology. But as a result of the influence of guarantee for the promotion and transmission of
sedentary culture and civilisation and traditional culture. During the last 6 years, the
considering the fast process of urbanisation and Mongolian Parliament has passed a Law of
industrialisation, the original forms of traditional culture, Law on the protection of historical and
culture of the nomadic Mongols are being lost cultural properties, and Law on the safeguarding
and the negative results of the disappearance of of the intangible cultural heritage, which are
them under large waves of commercial culture under the process of draft.
called "the mass cult" are appearing.
If this law is adopted, we hope that it will be
It is no secret that for Mongolia in the tradition possible to protect the intangible cultural
period, unemployment and poverty of the heritage at the international/legal level. The
population are realities. In this situation the Mongolian Government included the provisions
Mongolian Government is not available to of the State policy on culture related to the
deliver any funding to traditional culture. protection of the intangible cultural heritage in
its action programme, and established a
The field work carried out by the Institute of specialised Agency responsible for this activity
Language and Literature, and Research Institute and a registration-information database for the
of Culture and Arts stopped over the last 7 years historical and cultural monuments.
due to financial difficulties.
On the other part, the Mongolian traditional
Only about 60 of the numerous long songs culture is not merely a product of the Mongolian
considered unique to the intangible cultural people, but it is an important part of the
heritage of not only of Mongolia and Asia but traditional culture of Central Asia, Pacific and
also of the world. One of the classic works of the entire world. So the fruitful activities and
the performing arts are popularly used in assistance, organised by UNESCO along with
Mongolia, and hundreds of long songs and their the financial support made by the Japan
bearers are disappearing and being forgotten... Foundation, are a decisive factor in working out
and carrying out the national program for
Only the names of epic story tellers who told for safeguarding Mongolian traditional culture and
many days and nights remain in memory. folklore. Its example is the organisation of the
Wish and praise tellers who do the improvisation international symposium-festival on the topic
themselves are being rare. "Central Asian Epics" by the support of
UNESCO and the Japan Foundation, in
In the traditional playing style and skills of folk Ulaanbaatar in August last year.
musical instruments, one of the important types
of the traditional performing arts are being lost We must point out the great efforts and
and instead professional training today contributions made by Madam Noriko Aikawa,
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chief of the intangible cultural heritage section intangible cultural heritage and to use new
of UNESCO. Taking advantage of this technical achievements. For this purpose the
opportunity, I should like to express our sincere following steps will be taken:
thanks to Madam Noriko Aikawa. The
Recommendation addressing the Governments a). To divide the Mongolian territory into
of the regional countries, UNESCO and six regions by ethnic composition of the
Research Institutes, scientists, researchers, and population, their customs, common and specific
bearers of folklore and traditional culture has peculiarities and historical tradition (the map is
been made by the participants of this attached here) and to send the researchers to
symposium-festival. collect the intangible cultural heritage and
During the symposium-festival the National document them through audio and video
Centre for the intangible culture heritage was recordings and to make the corresponding
established in order to carry out the logical scientific definitions.
activities towards safeguarding, inheriting, b). To make 20 documentary films on the
investigating and disseminating Mongolian talented people, bearing unique forms and
intangible cultural heritage at the national level genres of the folklore and traditional culture and
and to cooperate with UNESCO, countries in the the customs of the ethnic groups and national
region and the world in this field. The Head minorities.
Council of the National Centre for the Intangible c). To establish audio-video studio
Cultural Heritage and its National Commission supplied by the international standard equipment.
consist of the leading scientists of the Research
Institutes, famous artists, folk talented people. II. To register the collected materials and
to include them in the information network, to
It enables the scientific and research, training establish the archive of audio-video recordings
institutes which carried out separate research and and to organise the safeguarding and
collection to coordinate their activities and to conservation of them according to the
carry out the complex activities towards the international standard. For this purpose the
study of the intangible cultural heritage. following activities will be carried out:
The dominating part of the Mongolian intangible a). To organise the professional training
cultural heritage containing the original features and workshops for collectors, documentalists,
of nomadic culture and civilisation is kept archivists and the other related specialists.
among the herdsmen engaged in livestock, b). To solve the problem of keeping audio
especially among the people of age over 65. fund in CD.
First of all this includes nearly 450,000 audio
It is possible to collect and protect rich and video recordings made and collected by the
Mongolian intangible cultural heritage if we can scientists and researchers of the Institute of the
carry out the immediate effective activities Language and Literature, and the Research
because the Mongols are still engaged in the Institute of Culture and Arts during the field
traditional cattle breeding and a relative extent works carried out in the last 30-40 years. This
which keep their nomadic culture and customs. activity will be carried out under the special
project.
We think that we must open the way to
overcome the difficulties, rightly defining the III. To organise research, dissemination,
further goal and evaluating the present situation. training on the collected materials during the
implementation of the above-mentioned goals.
In this connection the Mongolian National
Centre for the Intangible Cultural Heritage plans IV. To work out the national program on
to carry out the following activities in Mongolia the safeguarding of the intangible cultural
and in the framework of the international heritage.
cooperation.
V. The draft document to receive the
I. First priorities of all the activities are funding from the State budget for 1999, to
to organise operatively and wide field research establish the bearers of the unique intangible
work in order to collect, and document cultural heritage and to take them under state
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protection and to give them title and to inherit the Creator of the universe.
their talent and skill to young generations is
prepared to submit the Government. As we believe it all began here, naturally Nepal
We are seeking the countries, domestic and has specimen of people of all the known stocks.
foreign organisations which are able to There are Arayans, there are Khasas, there are
cooperate with and give their assistance in Mongols and Reaxasas in Nepal. And there are
carrying out our goals and projects. the descendent of Hums, the famous warrior.
Since time immemorial they are living in peace
We hope that UNESCO will continue its and harmony.
assistance in our activity.
These people have inherited a rich culture from
We believe that the preservation of the cultural their ancestors and have shared, and several
heritage unique and specific to each nation times have taken on the customs and tradition of
coincides with the general interest in their neighbour. It is a common site to see as
safeguarding the traditional cultural heritage of Nepali Hindu doing a puga in a Gumba and
all mankind. Therefore widening our inviting a Bajrayani saman or a lama at his home
cooperation with the regional countries and to perform a tantarik ritual. One should not be
improving its structure will be in the centre of surprised when one sees of Buddhist Devotee
our attention. paying his respects in a Hindu temple. There
are centres of pilgrimage holy to both faiths like
We suggest that an Asian-Pacific Centre for the Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar. Take
Safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage my name - The name I was christened with is
be established in an economically prosperous Shrikirshna. That is lord Bushun. And my
nation, as Japan. family name is Gautama associated with Lord
Buddha. Living in peace and harmony with
This centre will coordinate the activities of the their neighbours Nepalese people have shared
national centres of the regional countries and and exchanged their customs traditions and
carry out the activities such as delivering the folklore.
latest information, to organise seminars, training,
symposiums and festivals, to carry out joint Fore the sake of clarity I would like to divide
projects and to found suitable funds to support Nepalese folklore in the following subgroups,
cultural projects. a) Folk songs b) Folk dances c) Folk tales.
The circle sings, dances, and moves around. very sweet old folk song, to recording but so far,
Some times they have questions and answers. I have not been successful.
Deuda is very popular song form of farwestern
and midwestern Nepal. In western Nepal the What I am representing here is a very small
popular form of folk song is known as Jhamre. faction of the vast repertoire of folk songs in
I have not yet been able to derive the meaning of Nepali only. Every language in Nepal has its
the word Jhamre. Jhamre in western Nepal is own collection of folk songs, rich and sweet.
actually a substitute for folk songs. And naturally the most popular ones of these
have made their mark and have secured their
Trying to categorise folk songs I have divided it place in Nepali folk songs. We have
into Bhajans (hymns) that is chorus songs sung Tamangsello from the Tamangs, Syabru and
in praise of deities. Special songs sung Sangini from the Rais and Limbus. We have
especially in rite like marriage. Marriage Ramayan and Krisna Charitra from Magars and
ceremony claims to have many types of songs Sodasi songs from the Gurungs. Here I realise
sung at special occasions. One of the very rare the limitations of my knowledge and exposure.
occasions is when the party of the groom leaves But this some realisation makes me proud of the
for the bride's home and all the houses around rich heritage. To develop Napali music we
have no male representation. The stage is left don't have to look east, west, north or south, but
for the womenfolk of the block. They make we have to look at ourselves. We have a lot to
merry, make fun, play practical jokes and sing give to the music of the world, but, first of all,
very amusing and very erotic songs, as an we have got to preserve it.
inquisitive naughty young boy. I have
eavesdropped in many such gatherings and have Why it is called a folk song
remembered some of those funny songs. Some
of them are taboo in public. No record exists. A cowherd grazing his cows hums a tune and a
song with it or a young woman yearning for her
Songs of the season parent's have sings a lonely song. If these
songs are heart catching and if the melody is
There are songs for the seasons of the year. sweet, then they are caught by others. From
There are songs for festivals like Durgapuja and taken on mouth to mouth, group to group, a song
Holi. Not very long ago the whole month of first sung in the foothills will reach mountain
Falgun (February - March) was remembered by settlements within a month. It is a song not
young men, shepherds and cowherds included, credited to anyone but it is the property of the
to sing songs that teased girls and women. The folks. Hence it is called a folk song.
song was called Fagu and had a special metre
and rhythm. We were not able to keep them Elasticity of folk songs
for posterity and Fagu song was lost forever.
Expression of a singer's deepest feelings, a song
Summer had a special type of songs that was can be sung in a short or long meter. The same
called 'Asare,' that is, happening in the month of song, fast to denote ecstasy can be lengthened to
Asar (June - July). The festival of Durgapuja express sorrow. The lines in a chudka (a hymn
had special songs that were called 'Malasree.' in fast rhythm) can be adapted to the mode of
'Asare' song.
Encroachment by radio and television into the
life of country folk has made them to be The depth and breath of Nepalese folksongs in
ashamed of their rich heritage, have made them so vast that I have been able to present not an
forget the song their forefathers use to sing. iota. Most of it has got to be researched
The radio and television is propagating a raw registered and then recorded. Ignorance and
culture borrowed from the West. What the lack of interest in enlightened researchers, and in
radio calls modern songs, cheap imitation from many cases lack of financial and material
pop songs of English and other modern resources is causing the folksongs to be lost to
languages, has made the Nepalese countryfolk history. And the encroachment of mass media
ashamed of their very very rich heritage. For is making the country folk and singers ashamed
the last twenty years I have been on the lookout of singing their songs or dancing their dances in
for singers that could render my collection of a public. The situation is so critical that popular
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folk singers some times don't get qualified along with the dance. And there almost always
players of instruments that accompany the vocal. is a dialogue between two dancers or two rivals.
There are competitions organised by Radio Dance is also one of the forms of pleasing one's
Nepal and a few NGOs. For preservation of deity through worship. Devotional songs or
folk songs of yore Music Nepal has come hymns, are accompanied by dances. Every one
forward. But we have not been able to do present in a hymn singing ceremony has to
something substantial in the field of research. dance before the deity and offer this to the deity
Traditional folk songs sung at marriage, coming finally. No professional dancers but amateurs
of age ceremony and folk hymns have known no participate in such gatherings.
efforts at preservation.
Dances related to worship have many varieties.
Folk dances There are dances based on Mahabharata and
Ramayana, our great epics. And there are
Each ethnic group in Nepal has its hereditary Tantrik dances; Kumari dances, Charya dances,
folk dances. The treasure is very rich and my Sodasi dances, Ghatu dances, Sangini dances,
knowledge (or lack of it) makes me shrink when Syabru dances, Balan dance and many others.
I think of it. Here, I am aware of my limitations.
The people have mingled with each other and a We have begun our efforts at preservation of
composite Nepalese culture has evolved with the costumes and dances of Nepalese communities.
passage of time. Folk dances of the people Slowly but surely we have begun to preserve the
reflect their surroundings as well as their way of typical lifestyles of our people. Nepal's
life. There are more than 65 known ethnic geographic position in the south of the Great
groups in Nepal and each has its own rich Himalayas has made it a repository of South
culture and folklore. The dance form of the Asian life and culture. Physically lacking far
folklore is the most complex one to record. behind of the developed countries, she is rich,
The efforts that have so far been made in the very rich in her culture. She is determined to
research and preservation of dance forms have preserve and protect her folklore.
been sporadic. Lack of resources and
knowhow to some extent lack of willingness and The Government organises regular national
commitment to keep on is responsible for the cultural festivals that represent all the districts
state of affairs today. And almost total absence alternatively. There are some NGOs working
or death of capable choreographers to record the in the field of folk dance. National museums
dances of the people is also the reason for the are doing some pilot work in the preservation of
slow pace of progress in the field. costumes and dresses. To begin with, there is
some research work carried out about the
Folk dances are closely associated with lifestyle of few communities and we plan to
folksongs. Some dance forms require singing cover all the ethnic communities.
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A collection of such funny folk tales collected Food and food habits will tell how any two or
by the author is under the process of being more ethnic groups are related to each other.
published. Food habits die hard. In my travels outside
At Government and NGO level nothing Nepal, I have always been looking for a Nepali
mentionable in the field of research has been restaurant for my food of dal, bhat & tarkari and
done. achar, and when there was no Nepali restaurant I
have always gone to a Chinese restaurant
Problems facing us because their food is palatable to my palate and
nearest to the food I am found of.
Nepal's Cultural Heritage is rich and diverse.
Within comparatively a small area the nation has When wheat was first introduced to the hills of
preserved and let prosper several cultures. All Eastern Nepal by agriculture extension workers,
have lived harmoniously. The Khasas, the the Rais and Limbus of the east took to wheat
Yaxas, the Raxasas, the Asuras, the Darawas and farming and were pleased with the results. But
the Shakas and the Huns. There are people they came to the godowns of Food Corporation
whose life style still reminds us of the early in Dhankuta, when I was there wishing, to barter
stages of civilisation, people who still share one their wheat, much more nourishing than rice, for
wife among many brothers and at times, share rice. They sold their wheat, 6 rupees for 3 kg
two a more wives among many brothers. There and purchased rice at 8 rupees for 3 kg. I
are people where the second son has to become a enquired, what they made of the wheat that
monk and there are people where the second remained with them. One of them,
daughter has to become a nun. And there are condescending to illumine my knowledge,
Brahmin priests who do not go to worship in a answered that they fried the wheat and popped it
temple when their wives are in her periods. like they did popcorn? These people did not
These Brahmins are very strictly monogamous. know how to make leavened and unleavened
And there are holders of large pieces of land breads and how to make flour from wheat grains.
who acquire as many wives as they can, to
facilitate cultivation. There are the descendants Study of food habits will of course facilitate the
of the original Huns who introduced buffalo, in study of an ethnic community.
our part of Asia. They still worship
We are aware of our potential, aware of our rich
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National Awards
Non-governmental Organizations
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Presentation and Promotion of Traditional The dances of Papua New Guinea are quite
Performing Arts numerous with each culture group having at
least not less than five different kinds of dances.
Present situation With the universalisation of dance form, there is
need to preserve and promote these folk dances.
Papua New Guinea has about 850 different
languages and if language is one of the main 3. Myths/Legends
defining factors of a cultural group, the Papua
New Guinea has about 850 different cultural Papua New Guinea being a society had a special
groups. place for legends and myth. Cultural
information was processed from one generation
Each of the 850 groups have their own units of to another through legends and myths. There is
folklore, whether it is in dances, music, myths, a great need to preserve and promote these, for
legends or games. their importance in the transmission of cultural
knowledge.
Sustained contact with the outside world was
established in Papua New Guinea at different 4. Music
times. In some parts this was about 120 years
ago while in other parts it was only 60 years ago. Music is a very important part of Papua New
This means that exposure to the outside world of Guinea's folk culture, but unfortunately it is one
folklore culture is different from one part of the of the aspects of culture that is undergoing
country to another. On the whole the folk tremendous change. In some areas traditional
cultures of PNG have been under going changes music, chants and songs are being forgotten.
in the last 120 years.
These need to be preserved/protected and
Dealing with 850 folk cultures in the face of promoted.
rapid societal change is a very challenging task.
The biggest problem that Papua New Guinea has 5. Rituals
today in relation to the preservation and
promotion of folk culture is not having the Rituals were and are important to the social,
capacity to conduct political an economic life of pre-contact Papua
surveys/research/documentation. I addition to New Guinea society.
this, there is the problem of proper
storage/preservation facilities. Unfortunately the many modern, social, political
and economic institutions come with their own
These problem in essence stem from the forms of rituals.
problem of inadequate funding which the
country continuously faces. There is a threat of the folk rituals being
forgotten and lost. This presents the need for
Specific Aspects of Folk Culture these rituals to be preserved and promoted for
the future Papua New Guineans.
There are some aspects of folk culture in which
Papua New Guinea can take heart to be very rich The Task of Preserving Traditional Dances,
and which need to be preserved and promotion. Songs and Costumes
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years ago. This case is also indicative of the arts were not in the school curricula, and the
level of cultural priorities the government has younger generation had no motivation nor even
had most of the 20th century. the opportunity to receive their ancestral
traditions. The native language arts were out of
In 1986, when Pres. Corazon Aquino assumed place in the English language educational
the Presidency, she made an unfortunate system that the Philippines had received and
statement to the effect that "culture" was not perpetuated from American times. Dr. E.
supposed to be a "priority" of her government. Arsenio Manuel, based in the Anthropology
Whatever she understood by "culture," the Department of the University of the Philippines
culture and arts community took it very badly had warned that since the mean age of most of
and protested publicly. He reaction was swift the carriers of folk traditional arts was in the
and decisive when she saw her mistake. She sixties and seventies, the death of traditions was
created the Presidential Commission on Culture foreseeable. Ms. Mary Ng wrote a poignant
an the Arts (PCCA) and set aside an initial book titles Natido Binuag Weaves the Bang-o.
modest endowment for it. The Commission The weaver Natido Binuag, she said, was the
was well received, and the culture and arts last practitioner of his trade and was dying of a
community, mostly on volunteerism, organized terminal ailment. And the bang-o plant from
itself. It tied up with government agencies which the raw material for the basket was
such as the Department of Tourism which was obtained was also going extinct! My own
assigned the task of cultural dissemination. informants in my 1975-76 field work on Ivatan
The national heritage agencies such as the traditional culture had a mean age of over 60
museums, libraries, archives, and galleries came (and today less than 10 percent survive).
under a subcommission. And there was the
submmission or committee on ethnic and To further illustrate the pattern of demise of
traditional arts. The Cultural Center of the traditions, take the case of the Ivatan rowing
Philippines (CCP) was the lead agency in the song called Kalusan. In 1975, I could only
non-traditional arts, but was nonetheless find singers on land because sailors had stopped
equipped for work in traditional arts because it singing it on the sea. Being a rowing song,
had as part of its system the Folk Arts Center of when boats got motorised, the function
the Philippines. Besides it had its museum of disappeared, and the arts along with it. In the
traditional cultures, and its library covering all same cultural community, there was the folk
facets of Philippine culture. From such broad lyric sung/chanted poetic tradition called laji.
concerns, it eventually produced the ten-volume Its most solemn ritual use was at the traditional
CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Arts (1994). pre-wedding rites. But with altered times an
It is more than what its title says - it included outlook, the young generation had no patience
much on the peoples of the Philippines and their with the pace of rituals, and with the demise of
traditional arts and folklore. the rituals, the songs were on the way out. So
recording like I was doing in the 1970s, as far as
When the UN Decade of Cultural Development we could see then, was a battle against oblivion.
was proclaimed in the Philippines by Pres. We saw our work as attempting to preserve in
Aquino in 1989, along with the Philippine writing the orature of our people.
decade of Nationalism in commemoration of the
centennial of the Philippine Revolution, the When the PCCA started operation, however,
PCCA took the lead in drumming up a lively many of us who had been doing salvage work in
interest in cultural preservation. It had long the field were in PCCA. We got moral support
been the warning of cultural scholars (mostly of from the large organization, and we got better
the Philippine Folklore Society) that the pace of human networking on a national basis. The
social and technological modernisation and creative artists of CCP got into the act. The
globalisation was threatening the very existence traditional arts were not only conservable.
and survival of traditional culture and arts. An They could be preservable, and even
epic chanter of the Manobos died while transmutable into new contemporary forms of
recording of his epic narrative was still artistic expression.
unfinished, reported Dr. Elena Maquiso of
Siliman University. This was an instance of There was need, however, for financial support.
what was happening everywhere - traditional There was need to reach out to the grassroots to
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campaign and get the folk to realise what wealth outlasted her time, and they are still the main
of cultural heritage they carried. The campaign attraction in many parts of the county, notable
was not only conservation, but keeping alive the being those of Cebu, Akalan, and Bicol, with
traditions. And this could only be done if the their decided religious orientations but definitely
socio-cultural base of its life were sustained. with a very enthusiastic folk participation.
Research and documentation activities were
supported. Revival projects were undertaken. The latest plus maybe the Department of
But the most serious difficulty was the lack of Education, Culture and Sports' (DECS) decision
funds to support even the barest needs to those to revise the curriculum for basic education to
involved in the work. The PCCA was deemed include in the content of some 30 percent
no-viable in the long stretch. The move, material from local community culture. The
therefore, was for a cultural legislative agendum same pattern is present in the revised curricula
that provides a stable national cultural policy by for higher education of the Commission on
institutionalisation, and providing legal basis for Higher Education (CHED) which provides that
the sustained funding of the national cultural materials from local and regional cultures be
project of preservation and promotion. The incorporated systematically into the curricula of
Philippine Legislature was responsive, and the colleges and universities. This trend assures
result was Republic Act No. 7356 which created new academic venue for the revitalization
the National Commission on Culture and the preservation, and promotion of local traditional
Arts (NCCA) in 1992. And to make the arts.
specific emphasis on the endangerment of
traditional arts and the need to take affirmative II. Problems
action, Republic Act No. 7355 (also in 1992)
was enacted. This second law provides "for the Interest both among the people and by the
recognition of national living treasures, ... and government being already there, much of the
the promotion and development of traditional problems has been overcome. But the
folk arts, providing funds therefor..." unavoidable enemy of tradition is modernisation
and globalisation is all its popular as well as
Today, the NCCA and its agencies concerned subtle forms. With globalisation in cultural
with the preservation and promotion of the exposure, the traditional world views and
traditional/folk arts is operating according to its customary institutions become obsolescent, and
mandate, and with it are a large number of with them the artistic expression which embody
official an volunteer personnel doing what they them. Plastic containers are crowding out
can despite still severely limited logistical traditional handcrafted ones. Industrial textiles
support from an otherwise well-disposed have been making traditional weaving seem out
government. The 1998-99 Proponent’s Guide of place. And traditional performing arts of
to the NCCA Grants Program was out a few dance, music, and theatre are being crowded out
days ago, and it has been announced in the by television, the movies, and video. Can
national newspapers. In the first half of this traditional/folk arts adapt themselves to the new
month (Feb. 1998), the Screening Committee (of media and technology? Can the new social
which I am a member) for the upcoming structures arising from cosmopolitanisation be
National Folk Artist Awards met to at the NCCA made hospitable to traditional arts? Yes, I
building in Intramuros, Manila, to do its job. think, with creative national vision and policies
Books, many of which are glossy full-colour to match. For after all, change is both
editions on the folk arts have been coming off inevitable as well as a permanent feature of the
the presses steadily these past few years, and I arts as they pass inexorably through the tunnel
think getting better with improving technology. of time. Even these arts we call traditional
And what is even more encouraging is that the have always been undergoing change after all.
private sector accounts for many of these
excellent books. The university presses are The present trend of institution-building to cope
turning out technologically more modest with the demands of conservation, preservation
productions. The CCP encyclopedia is soon to and promotion of traditional arts is encouraging,
be available in CD Rom. And urban and rural even inspiring. But the limits of its
festivals, earlier believed to have been drummed technological base are also evident. Since the
up by then First Lady Imelda Marcos, have change that is happening today in cultures is
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largely the result of an extraordinarily fast pace addressed to all aspects of the local traditional
of technological development, coping in the culture, including such questions as social and
interest of preservation and promotion will have cultural change. A Batanes heritage foundation
to be by high technology, too. And that means has been put up with the help an initiative of
logistics - which developing counties like the local government leaders. We want to
Philippines are not fully capable of undertaking conserve all tangible expressions of the local
at the present. But since the preservation culture and put them in museums to make them
involves an urgency in time in the race to beat always available for social and formal education,
the demise of cultural carriers, the problem is for it is quite possible for dead arts concretised
real and serious. The funds providable by the in a masterwork in a museum to get resurrected
NCCA are certainly insufficient for now. by new craftsmen, now or in the future. The
thing is to keep them intact. We are building a
Volunteerism is very helpful, but it could be a museum now.
problem when volunteers are more enthusiastic
than expert. Training programs are needed, The folk lyric tradition I recorded over two
and they are being given; but more is necessary. decades ago is getting a new lease on life.
When local carriers saw that academics were
Academe has been one of the mainstays of interested in it, and they got copies of the
cultural research and enlightenment in the published record of their songs it had a tonic
process of conservation, preservation, and effect on them. They suddenly felt their arts
promotion. But unfortunately, most of were important, and they themselves felt
Philippine academics are heavily tied to teaching important. The very few surviving carriers are
with killing loads of 24 teaching hours per week, now being sought out as important people of the
with practically no extended paid leaves of community; and the new sense of dignity and
absence from school to do field work. And the importance is contagious and a few younger
meager grants for research and outreach do not ones have picked up the art. We have included
provide for living allowances so that even the the study of this local art in the graduate
most enthusiastic scholars are unwilling to get to curriculum, and singing the tradition has been
work while their families starve. revived. A curious unintended development is
that although this lyric tradition was traditionally
III. Measures to be taken sung or chanted solo without accompaniment, it
has been discovered that in fact it can be sung in
It is my view that what the Philippines is now chorus. Then some local musician showed it can
doing is in the right direction, but it handicapped be richly sung in multiple choral voices. It is
with the paucity of logistical support from local now in the process of experimentation for
sources. Monumental conservation like what musical instrumental accompaniment. Its
was done to the Maranaw Drangen (folk epic in earliest new versions have been recorded and
8 volumes) cost money, and the scholars of played over the community radio, and the
Mindanao State University at Marawi were popular reception is very encouraging. We
lucky to receive financial support from the intend to continue this process with this song
Toyota Foundation. tradition, and analogously, with the other folk
traditions. We see the macro in this micro.
But more than financial support for preservation
and promotion, there is the need to upgrade Republic of Korea
one's vision of the nature of change and
adaptation to which the cultural artifacts are Dr. Im Jang-Hyuk
subjected. Curator
Intangible Cultural Properties Division
In the northernmost point of the Philippines, the Office of Cultural Properties
province of Batanes where I continue to do
cultural work, I have designed an integrated 1. Present situation and problems
though modest (because basically budgetless)
research, preservation, and promotion program. There are many problems that entail the
It is tied to a graduate school program, and the designation of intangible cultural properties.
researches of students are systematically
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First, there is lingering doubt about what development of traditional culture in everyday
constitutes the value of a cultural heritage life. Its major programmes are as follows:
deserving of preservation. Whether a certain
cultural heritage is worth preserving or not - Preservation and Transmission of
differs depending on different times and scholars, Traditional Culture
creating controversy in the selection process. The foundation sponsors performances and
In Korea there was an instance whereby an exhibitions of important intangible cultural
important cultural property became extinct properties by their holders. In the case of the
because one scholar recognised the precious performing arts, performances are given once a
value of a cultural asset only to be revoked by year or more in the regions where the respective
another. arts are handed down.
Second, a more obstinate problem is that of But there is also the need for individual holders
representatives in the discovery and designation and holding organisations devoted to the same
of cultural property. For folk cultural arts, category of arts to get together to compare their
when there is more than one individual who skills and make joint efforts to promote their arts,
possess the artistic skills, there is bound to be and thereby to offer opportunities for the general
subjective judgement in deciding who is most public to appreciate various traditional
representative of the culture. performing arts at the same time. In order to
meet these requirements, the foundation holds
Third, there is a tendency to divide intangible two or three joint performances of intangible
cultural properties into the so-called 'popular cultural properties each year in spring and
assets' and 'unpopular asset.' This phenomenon autumn.
has caused an imbalance in the status of training
and calls for a reexamination into existing In the case of handicrafts, exhibitions are held to
institutions. In 1994, trainers and experts show traditional craft works by the holders of
participated in a public hearing where different intangible cultural properties at one place. As
ideas for improvement were heard. In order to circumstances allow, holders demonstrate their
strengthen those assets vulnerable to neglect, skills at an exhibition hall to help visitors better
policies were devised to give a larger number of understand their working process.
scholarships, and to give priority in public
events to the less popular assets. Contests are held to invite ordinary craftsmen to
present their works as well. Outstanding
2. The measures to be taken in entries are selected through a screening process
preservation and promotion and displayed for public viewing for a certain
period. Those who excel in these contests may
The Office of Cultural Properties or individual be chosen for designation as holders of
holders or holding organisations face important cultural properties. The foundation
considerable difficulties when they put on operates a traditional culture centre offering
regular performances or exhibitions or operate research and specialised coursed in traditional
traditional crafts stores in order to meet culture as well those for training instructors of
individual needs. The Office of Cultural youths.
Properties has the Korean Cultural Properties
Preservation Foundation operate under its - Operation of Korea House
umbrella in order to fill these gaps. The The foundation operates Korea House. Which
foundation carries out a variety of programmes has a restaurant serving traditional Korean food.
to disseminate and promote cultural properties It also has a small theatre of daily performances
under the guidance and supervision of the Office of traditional arts, a bride's school for teaching
of Cultural Properties. Korean traditional lifestyle, and a traditional tea
society.
The Korean Cultural Properties Preservation
Foundation was established to disseminate and - Operation of the Traditional
promote national culture through the protection, Handicrafts Hall
preservation, dissemination and utilisation of The hall is operated exclusively for year round
cultural properties and for the creative exhibitions and sales of traditional handicraft
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works produced by the holders of intangible practitioners of respective arts and trades.
cultural properties. It also offers some 10
different coursed in traditional handicrafts for Some of the performing/folk art forms having a
the general public. ritualistic value on the one hand with an
entertainment value on the other associated with
- Operation of Seoul Nori Madang dancing and drumming need to be strictly
An open-air arena for the performance of traditional if they are to be preserved properly.
traditional arts, the Seoul Nori Madang presents Present day tendency is to modify them to suit
free presentations intangible cultural properties modern life styles by bringing about the
suitable for outdoor presentation every Saturday following changes:
and Sunday from April through October.
Special performances are given on major (a) The whole night performance is cut short to
holidays and occasions for national celebration. suit the modern audience, and the modern
A nationwide mask dance drama, farmers' band stages;
music and other popular folk arts contest for (b) The performer - audience participation is
college students is held hear every August. totally ignored;
(c) Modern light and sound systems are used;
- Operational Costs (d) Dialogue, words expressions, music,
The State subsidizes the programmes undertaken humour etc. have changed and modernised; and
by the foundation on its behalf, including public (e) There is a tendency to be influenced new
performances and exhibitions of intangible innovations and accommodation.
cultural properties. However, the foundation
finances other programmes to disseminate For the preservation of these art forms it is
general traditional culture on its own with the desirable to consider what measures need to be
profits form running a Korean restaurant, a taken.
traditional-style wedding, a performing arts
theatre and a traditional crafts hall. Concrete cases chosen for consideration
from ancient times. Paddy cultivation was the of a long-necked lute known as the kratchiappee,
mainstay of the people. With modern trends of a cousin of the Lao instrument of the same name
industrialisation, cultivation of paddy had taken and of the Khmer chappei.
a less important place.
(iii) As elsewhere in Asia, such early proto-
Customs and rituals associated with paddy theatrical performances were to form the basis
cultivation come to be neglected, disregarded upon which many subsequent theatrical styles
and are being gradually lost. were developed, and indeed animistic practices
continue to pervade the performance of a wide
With modernisation, the tractor being introduced range of Thai dance and dance-drama forms
in place of the plough and the buffalo, (notably those performed at ancestral and other
traditional customs and rituals lost their shrines) to this day.
significance. Some of verses and songs used at
different occasions have been collected and Classical theatre traditions
others lost. Apart from what could be collected
in verse form, there were other practises and During the past millennium the area now
customs, some of them meant to be kept secret. occupied by the Thai nation has supported a
There are sorceries and charms as well. number of different classical theatre traditions,
although only one - the Khmer-derived courtly
It is not too late to engage in an island wide music and dance adopted by the Sukhothai and
campaign to collect and preserve everything Ayutthaya dynasties of central Thailand - was
associated with paddy cultivation from stepping destined to develop into a national classical style.
into the field at an auspicious hour up to the time
grains of paddy are brought home and placed in Early southern performance styles
the vee bissa (storehouse). Even after this,
there are ceremonies to invoke blessings from (i) The southern-style court dance and
Gods, fertility rites, religions offerings etc. shadow theatre of the Malay peninsula
The younger generation needs to be made aware kingdoms would appear to have been the first to
of all these. evolve.
(i) As already noted, the folk music and (v) Later styles of lam such as lam khlon
dance of both the southern and northern regions and lam moo develop resque improvised
are firmly rooted in former classical traditions. dialogue between men and women to a fine art;
In contrast, both central and northeast Thailand other varieties such as lam phi fah (which
maintain folk traditions unique to the local involves female spirit propitiation dances)
community, which developed in the absence of indicate the ritual origins of some varieties of
courtly sponsorship or stylistic influence. the genre. Nowadays, as in Laos, lam
performers in Issan often combine their art with
(ii) As in neighbouring Laos, rituals to more modern forms of entertainment and make
propitiate the spirits, melodic recitation of use of modern musical combos, but a number of
stories enscribed on palm-leaf manuscripts (an important authentic mohlam still perform
nangsu, literally 'reading a book') and the use of regularly.
song by Buddhist teachers were all influential
factors in the development of early forms of (vi) Several other non-lam folk genres
community entertainment in the central and from the Issan region are also noteworthy, such
northeastern regions, and during the first as the central Thailand-style dialogue genre
millennium AD various styles of singing with phlaeng korat performed around Nakhon
melodies derived from word tones began to Ratchasima, the unique music and dance of the
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Phu Thai people of northern Issan and the brought about drastic changes into economic and
kantrum music of southern Isaan. social obligations. Along with the so called
development, the crucial problems have risen,
Ethnic minority music and dance followed by problems on the preservation and
promoted of tradition/folk performing arts.
Each of the hilltribe communities of northern
and northwestern Thailand also preserves its
own unique style of music and dance, which Problems
function in either a celebratory or a ritual
manner; those of the Hmong and the Yao are 1. Specialists in these fields become
particularly noteworthy. scarce for lack of continuation in transferring
knowledge to interested learners.
Popular theatre - likay
2. The young generations are influenced
(i) By the latter half of the 19th century by western civilisation which appears more
new popular theatre styles were beginning to attractive; thus they are not interested in learning
emerge throughout Southeast Asia in response to about traditional arts of any kind.
the needs of the growing urban population.
The activities of the itinerant bangsawan theatre 3. The process of transferring knowledge
troupes from Malaysia were an important of local wisdom and traditional performing arts
catalyst in this process, creating a ready market may take time, and require attentive hard work
for more entertaining and realistic styles of and patience, and for these reasons, the task of
theatre. learning has discouraged most learners instead
of challenging them.
(ii) A new indigenous style of folk theatre
known as jikey developed during this period in 4. The new technology is far more
the northern states of Malaysia under the attractive and tempting than traditional stuff;
influence of the Muslim chant known as dikir or such as, electronic equipment etc.
dikay. It achieved great popularity and very
quickly spread north, where it is believed to 5. Traditional performances are usually
have influenced in its turn the creation of the improvised; and thus require indefinite time to
Thai popular theatre likay and its Khmer complete. Due to the rushing lifestyle of the
counterpart yike. An operatic genre presented present society, certain things have to be
in western style, Thai likay involves a company adjusted or shorten to save time, and thus,
of 12 to 16 persons accompanied by an reducing the artistic quality and aesthetic value.
ensemble of both traditional and modern
instruments, presenting mainly stories based on 6. Strong influence by other culture, such
local legends. It is still very popular today, as, urban culture, foreign culture has played an
amongst both urban and rural audiences alike. important role in changing social and cultural
(Extracts from The lifestyle.
Asia Pacific Arts Directory)
7. Responsible authorities may not be
Present situation aware of the actual problems; and thus gear their
effort in preserving and promoting these
The current situation that most developing performing arts in different directions.
countries like Thailand are facing is the
transitional stage of agricultural society to semi- 8. Traditional artists are mainly local
industrial society. Consequently, performing farmers who have to work hard for their living.
arts in Thailand, being folk or traditional are Folk performances are occasionally played for
generally considered as out of date fashion for seasonal entertainment and ritual but never taken
lack of modernity and development. Local seriously as an occupation. Therefore,
musical performances and folk dances have traditional performing arts are not steadily
become less and less popular due to fast growing transmitted nor promoted to younger generations.
and competitive economic circumstances. The Moreover, they need financial support from the
rapid growth in semi-industrialised society has Government or concerned agencies, so they can
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sacrifice their time and effort in carrying on aspect of these festivities is the opportunity to
these traditional/folk performances. develop and improve the outlook and approach
of these traditional/folk performing arts to be
Future subjects more attractive. These examples will lead to
sustainable cultural development as well as
1. The major objective of the cultural social and economic well-being of the local
promotion and preservation will aim at serving people.
the needs of local people as well as bringing the
most benefit to their well being as they are the Examples of cultural events in Thailand are the
owners of the culture. promotion of local traditional fair to the national
level; such as, the 'Songkran' or Thai New Year
2. To develop some cultural performing Festival in Chiangmai province, the 'Boon Bung
arts along the process of promotion and Fai' traditional Festival in Yasothorn province.
preservation to suit the present and/or urban The Buddhist Lent Candle Parade in Ubon
society. Ratchathani province, Elephant Round in Surin
province, 'Loy Krathong' Festival in Sukhothai
3. Cultural organizations and personnel province, and the Vegetarian Season in Phuket
are to be developed in order to support the province and many more. In addition, the
promotion and preservation process. performing arts, folk music, folk attires are
developed and modified to suit and complement
4. Recognition of artists is to be with the shows and atmospheres of relevant
expanded to community level. events.
It is fully realised that social development and Nowadays in Vietnam 54 ethnic groups lives
changes are dynamic and inevitable. and their cultural features are very different.
Traditional or folklore concepts, particularly But only in culture of the Viet majority there is
folk performing arts are mostly neglected or the scholar culture component. Cultures of the
even forgotten for the sake of convenience and remaining 53 ethnic minorities are only the folk
practically. In order to preserve these arts to culture. That is why the folklore plays a very
survive through these crucial changes, there important role for the existence and
need be strong promotion to transfer these development of almost all Vietnamese people's
knowledge and wisdom and to transmit these culture. As it was widely known, the folk-
arts to wider audiences and younger generations. culture creations are always preserved by
people's memory without any textual forms.
Some concrete cases being carried out in Also, they are always manifested in forms of
Thailand are to create the sense of belonging and folk performances. The ethnic cultural identity
pride among the local people, and to promote is recognised and distinguished through folk
cultural events through tourism in form of performances. At the same time, cultural
interesting activities; such as, annual festivities, intercourse is implemented just through
fairs, and provincial celebrations etc. Through receiving folk performances and taking part in
the process of organizing these activities, the them.
valuable knowledge of traditional/folk
performing arts is passed on to younger In the past only the Viet majority people had
generations, and earned appreciation from both school in which the NOM script (a kind of
Thai and foreign tourist. Another beneficial Vietnamised Chinese script) was taught. Other
53 ethnic minorities had no school. So the folk
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performances became the medium that educated - Children's songs and games.
and trained all community members in the ethnic - Initiation ceremony with sacred songs and
cultural tradition. Receiving values, forms of dances.
behaviour, habits and customs, literature and arts, - Alternation singing courtship between boys
music and dance, etc., the cultural system is and girls.
implemented through taking part of people in - Wedding ceremony with wedding songs and
folk performances and various folk cultural dances.
activities depending on participant's age and - Music and songs in funeral ceremony.
social status. Thanks to it, cultural tradition, e.
g. folklore, is transmitted from generations to 2. Folk performances making different
generations, and each generation contributes its stages of a farming cycle, from the onset of a
creativeness in the development of cultural crop season to the harvest;
tradition.
- Spring-time ceremony-festival with ritual
From all above-mentioned things, a global songs and dances, alternating singing love-
definition can be drawn: "Folk performance is a songs, theatrical performances.
materialised form of intangible cultural creations - Praying ceremony for rain with ritual songs
of folklore-men." If we look deeply into the and pantomimic gestures.
past with diachronic view, we will find that at - Ceremony for the rice - plant's safety with
the beginning all folk performance forms were ritual songs and dances.
born and created to supply certain necessities of - Harvest festival with music, songs and
human's production and everyday life. Thus, dances
each folk performance has certain social
significance and function, and becomes a 3. Folk performances connecting with the
cultural entity. This entity, apart from other community's religious beliefs;
non artistic component such as a sacred
atmosphere, the mythic space and time, the - Ceremony in honour of the village's tutelary
religious meaningfulness of ceremonial action, genius with various forms of arts such as
the necessary of environmental context, the ceremonial music, ritual songs and games,
wishes of people to be embodied to become a sacred dances, playing the roles symbolising
symbol of the Deity, was included various folk the image of village's tutelary etc.
performing art forms becoming as - Sorcerers and shaman's ceremony with long-
multicomponentent cultural existing. So, the time cycle of songs, music and dances.
folk performing arts are engaged in as - Ceremonies of world religious with various
unseparated and organic component in entity of forms of manifestation including different
a folk performance. kinds of performing arts.
The traditional culture and folklore including The folk performing art forms included in the
general folk performance and particular folk above three systems are popular in most of the
performing arts, have been shaped and Vietnamese villages as everyday life activities of
developed in traditional society. It is the society peasants. Apart from that there are several
of the old agricultural economy the matters of forms of performing arts which can be
which are peasants living in rural communities. considered as half-professional or professional
In that social conditions the folk performances in traditional arts as follows:
culture of Vietnamese ethnic groups can be
divided into the following three main systems - Traditional classical singing theatres such as
depending on their social function: Cheo, Tuong, Cai luong of majority Viet, Za
hai theatre of Tay minority, Ro-Bam theatre
1. Folk performances related to everyday of Southern-Vietnam Khmer minority.
life of man and making different stages of a - Epic telling-singing of Ede, JoRai, Bahnar,
community member's lifetime from his birth to Mnong minorities living in Highland Central
his death; Vietnam.
- Etiquette to fetch new-born baby with - Performances of the "Amateur music and
lullaby. song" of Southern Viet people.
- Lulling baby with lullaby. - The "Hue music and songs" of Hue area's
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According to the Vietnam government's policy In the national and regional workshops
for preservation and promotion of organised inside the country, the published
traditional/folklore culture, right after the books on the issues of this field have also
Geneva negotiation, since 1956, in Northern contributed to strengthen the awareness not only
Vietnam different research, performing and of the people but also of the leadership.
educational institutions of music, dance and
theatre were established gradually. Thanks to But, despite all above endeavours and
the activities of these institutions, several achievements the general traditional/folk culture
traditional/folk cultural assets were collected and and the particular traditional/folk performing
preserved in the archives of research institutes arts are still on the abyss' edge of disappearance.
by audio and video-film forms. Many items This circumstance is caused by several different
and performed programmes, recreated from factors as follows:
traditional performing arts, were presented on
the stage of music, dance and theatre ensembles 1. During the war time the Vietnamese
in the country and abroad. A numerous people had not been the peaceful conditions to
international and national awards were given to realise everyday life cultural activities. The
these items. The traditional/folk performing younger generation had not the opportunities to
arts were also transmitted to young generation participate into traditional/folk culture activities
through the curricula (formal and non-formal) of through which they can accept cultural values
the Conservatories (e.g. Academy of Music), and asset of their ethnicity. As a result,
College of Dance, College of Traditional nowadays the people over forties do not
Theatre, and the provincial high school of Arts. understand adequately about own traditional
culture. Now we are facing an interruption of
In the same way, the State encourages the wide national cultural tradition in knowledge of
participation of the mass into the preservation young generation. At the same time the people
and revitalisation activities, and performance of who preserve their memory of the expression of
various kinds of traditional/folk performing arts traditional cultural events and activities were
in the people's everyday life. The policy was gradually dying due to their advanced age. In
realised by means of that to organise the annual 1978 when I was in Highland (central Vietnam)
and biannual festival-competitions specialised for my ethnomusicologic field work I met at
on certain genre of performing arts for different least one or two epic teller-singer in each hamlet
ages and social status. The realisation of the of native minorities. In 1996 I came back there,
policy has met the active response of various in a large highland region consisting of three
NGOs such as the Union of Vietnam's Youth, provinces, I found only three eighty-years-old
Union of Vietnam's Women, Vietnam Union of men who can take telling-singing some epics!
Literature and Arts Associations. Some
activities became a national movement such as 2. The traditional/folk culture is born and
the national movement of lullaby singing among linked with the old agricultural system and rural
the young mother held by the Association of community life. Now Vietnam enters a stage
Vietnamese Folklorists in co-operation with the of industrialisation and modernisation, the socio-
Union of Vietnam's Women, or the national economic life is changing rapidly and strongly.
movement of performing "Children's songs and
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The new social context has been breaking step The people are author of this culture. They
by steps the old balance of traditional cultural well understand it and entirely have the right and
life that makes a process of capacity to preserve and develop it. Moreover,
"DESTRUCTURATION." Several traditional culture is always living entity. It must become
cultural events have lost their old social function and unseparate component of the people's
and can not find out own place in new social everyday life as a part of their cultural property.
conditions. At the same time, being
shortcoming of cultural tradition, the young The ten years experience since simultaneously
people miscellaneously accept so called applying and conducting above two solutions
"international cultural values" to fill the "gaps of and forces demonstrated us that the policy is
tradition" in their cultural personality. reasonable. Thanks to it, several
traditional/folk cultural events and activities
3. Although we have a good policy for were restored, revitalised and effectively
preservation and promotion of traditional/folk participated in recent cultural life of the country.
culture, but being a developing country with low
income we have not enough financial fund to SOME CONCRETE CASES
invest in this field. The National programme of
"General investigation of remaining intangible The Case of Quan Ho Alternating singing
cultural heritages of Vietnam's ethnic groups" between boys and girls
receives only US$ 300,000 on average per year.
Moreover, at the same time we lack seriously the The Quan Ho alternating singing between boys
trained workers, specialists and scholars and girls (hereafter briefly written “Quan Ho”) is
involved in this field. considered as a unique symbol of regional
culture located in Bac Ninh province, only 30
Throughout all of the above-said situations, we km far from Hanoi. This area was homeland of
can say that the preservation and promotion of LY dynasty's king family dominating Vietnam
traditional/folk culture is very urgent task for us. during 11 and 12 centuries, right after the
But, how do we overcome real difficulties? To liberation of country from one-thousand-year
conduct simultaneously two main solutions and occupation of the Chinese dynasties.
forces mentioned below is the answer:
According to the legend, at the beginning Quan
The first one is to support and increase the work Ho was created by LY dynasty's noble descent
of state institution and specialised NGOs in this as ritual singing symbolising the combination of
field while it focuses on realising the national male and female elements, and sung in the
programme "General investigation of remaining spring-time agricultural ceremonies, praying for
Intangible Cultural Heritage of Vietnam's ethnic prosperity and peaceful life of plants, animals
groups." Among the different subjects of this and people. After near one-thousand-year
programme, the most important thing is to pay development, nowadays Quan Ho became a kind
attention firstly and urgently to save the of alternating courtship singing between boys
traditional culture of the ethnic groups the and girls. According to the collected materials,
population of which is lower than one thousand. Quan Ho consists of 300 different melodies,
The general aims of the programme are sung by villagers in courtship singing and was
collection and preservation of all remaining popularised in 49 villages of Bac Ninh province.
intangible cultural heritages including various Each village has two Quan Ho teams, one of
forms of performing arts by audio-visual and which consists of female members and the other
other high technique quality equipment. consists of male members. According to the
traditional rules and custom law, the male team
The second one is to mobile all available people must take the alternating singing with the female
who are engaged in and involved in this field to team of the neighbour village, and the female
create a large number of popular folklorists team does with the male team of other neighbour
living and working throughout the country. village.
But, its most important meaning is to turn the
responsibility of the preservation and promotion Quan Ho melodies were collected and studied
of traditional/folk culture to the people's hand since 1956 and were preserved in archives of the
(with the support and encourage of the state).
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Part I
1. Introduction
skills were introduced. Also introduced was a of others to carry on the tradition.
system for recording of intangible Folk
Materials. Designation of Important Intangible Cultural
Properties
Then as a result of the revision of the Law for Some items of intangible cultural properties, that
the Protection of Cultural Properties in 1975, the are significant, are designated by the Minister of
term Folk-cultural Properties, altered from Folk Education, Science, Sports and Culture as
Materials and the system for designating Important Intangible Cultural Properties.
Important Folk-cultural Properties (both tangible
and intangible) were introduced. Also added At present, designations of Important Intangible
through this revision was the system for Cultural Properties are made for the following
selection and protection of Traditional two fields of items of intangible cultural
Techniques for Conservation of Cultural properties. They are (a) performing arts such
Properties. as music, dance and theatre and (b) applied arts
such as pottery-making, dyeing, lacquer work,
In conclusion, the present Law for the Protection gold metal work, etc.
of Cultural Properties targets three categories of In designation, a particular item of intangible
intangible cultural heritages. They are: cultural properties has to be of special artistic
Intangible Cultural Properties value, or of significant importance in the history
Intangible Folk-cultural Properties of performing arts or applied arts. Elements to
Traditional Techniques for Conservation of show the characteristics of a particular school of
Cultural Properties arts or geographical area are also considered in
designating.
2 Intangible Cultural Properties
Living National Treasures
The artistry and skills employed in forms of In designating Important Intangible Cultural
theater, music, the applied arts and other Properties, The Minister of Education, Science,
intangible cultural assets which posses high Sports and Culture also gives recognition to the
historic and artistic value for Japan are called holder, holders or holding bodies of these skills
Intangible Cultural Properties. These to a high degree. There are three ways in
intangible cultural properties are, in essence, the which recognition; Individual Recognition,
artistry and skills of persons. These skills are Collective Recognition and Organization
manifested through an individual person or a Recognition.
group of individual persons who have obtained
such artistry and skills. Those who have received Individual
Recognition are popularly known as Living
In other words, intangible cultural properties National Treasures. In an effort to preserve
always tend to change in both their content and Important Intangible Cultural Properties, the
form. Furthermore, the only way of protecting national government confers a special grant of 2
this artistry and these skills is for the national million yen a year on each Living National
government support the transmission of artistry Treasure.
and skills from their holders to successors. If
these person-to-person transmissions were to Since the first recognition of this kind in 1955, a
cease the artistry and skills would disappear. total of 244 persons have been recognized so far
as Living National Treasures. This well-known
This is the thinking behind the 1954 revision of system has now taken root in society, and has
the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties, been helpful in raising public interest towards
which introduced the system for the designation Important Intangible Cultural Properties, thus
of Important Intangible Cultural Properties and contributing to their preservation in general.
the system for recognition of the individual
person or the group of individual persons skilled Recording of Intangible Cultural Properties
in these designated Important Intangible Cultural There are intangible cultural properties that help
Properties as their holders, and through which us to understand the development of performing
various protections for the fostering of public arts and applied arts, that are not officially
performances or exhibitions and for the training designated as Important Intangible Cultural
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Properties but are important enough to be for recording. Such recording are carried out by
recorded and made accessible to the public. either the national government itself or local
Thus there is a system for selection of items of governments, which are granted subsidies by the
the intangible cultural properties for which national government.
recording and other measures should be taken.
For those selected, either the national 4 Traditional Techniques for Conservation of
government carries out the recording, or else, Cultural Properties
gives grants/subsidies to local governments
which undertake recording and exhibition of The system of selecting Traditional Techniques
such intangible cultural properties. for Conservation of Cultural Properties was a
result of the revision of the Law for the
3 Intangible Folk-cultural Properties Protection of Cultural Properties in 1975. The
Minister of Education, Science, Sports and
Folk-cultural Properties is the term used to refer Culture selects those traditional techniques and
to those aspects of culture that the Japanese skills that are essential to the preservation of
people have produced in the course of their daily cultural properties and for which protection is
lives and have passed down in tangible and required. The Minister also gives recognition
intangible ways and that show the changes in the to individuals or groups that carry out activities
people’s mode of life. They might be for the preservation of such techniques or skills.
subdivided into Intangible Folk-cultural
Properties and Tangible Folk-cultural Properties. This system was introduced as a measure of
preservation for cultural properties through the
Intangible Folk-cultural Properties includes such advancement of conservation techniques and the
things as the manners and customs relating to fostering of successors of those techniques or
food, clothing and housing, occupations, skills. This system protects the techniques or
religious beliefs, festivals and other annual skills involved in material preparations, repairs
observances, as well as folk performing arts. and restorations necessary for conservation of
Tangible Folk-cultural properties are things such cultural properties, tangible and intangible, folk-
as clothing, implements and houses used in cultural properties and monuments. Those
connection with the aforementioned Intangible techniques or skills are distinct from the cultural
Folk-cultural Properties. properties themselves.
Annex
[Designation]
[Selection]
[Registration]
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In the course of these and other programmes, a (3) to prepare the basis for a scheme for
strong need has been felt to collect and share the future development of an Asia-Pacific
information on the present situation of archive of audio-visual documentation of
preservation and promotion of intangible performing arts.
cultural heritage in each country as well as
actual data for individual forms of performing
arts.
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At the Meeting
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98Sem/5-Annex I
1 Items to be covered
2 Procedures
(1) Each participating country will chose five to ten traditional/folk performing arts
(2) The Data Capture Format (Draft Data Capture Format is attached hereto) for each of the
performing arts will be filled in by the Information Source.
(3) Filled-in Data Capture Format will be sent back to ACCU by 31 July l998.
(4) ACCU will do a minimum editorial work.
(5) Each of the data will be examined by the Consultative and Planning Meeting in Sept/Oct
1998.
(6) After compilation by ACCU, each data will be a part of Asia-Pacific data bank of
performing arts.
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- others
(3) Photograph
One or two photograph(s)
with a brief caption and/or credit line if necessary
(4) Information source
- The name of the person/institution/organization who is responsible for the provided
data/information
(5) date of the given information
(1) The Information Source warrants that it/he/she has been authorized by the persons in
whom any existing copyright may be vested and is consequently empowered to assign the
right in question without risk to ACCU for legal proceeding or investigation in this regard, for
ACCU’s use of the information (including text, photographs and/or any other item) for the
purpose of this programme, including reproduction, adaptation, and translation.
(2) It shall be the understanding of the Information Source (i) that in the event of reproducing
and reproducing of translation, by the competent national bodies in Asia and the Pacific or
their agents, no fee shall be charged by ACCU for such reproduction and reproduction of
translation and (ii) that ACCU may enter into an agreement with UNESCO or other related
organizations for acting as an agent of ACCU concerning reproduction and reproduction after
translation, and distribution outside Asia and the Pacific.
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ACCU
Draft Data Capture Sheet for
Traditional/folk Performing Arts
[country]
Romanized character
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Explanation
Information source
date
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98Sem/5-Annex II
1 Items to be covered
2 Procedures
(1) Each participating country will chose the institutions and organizations to be included in
the data bank.
(2) The Data Capture Format (Draft Data Capture Format is attached hereto) for each of the
institutions/organizations will be filled in by the Information Source.
(3) Filled-in Data Capture Format will be sent back to ACCU by 31 July l998.
(4) ACCU will do a minimum editorial work.
(5) Each of the data will be examined by the Consultative and Planning Meeting in Sept/Oct
1998.
(6) After compilation by ACCU, each data will be a part of Asia-Pacific data bank of
performing arts.
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(1) The Information Source warrants that it/he/she has been authorized by the persons in
whom any existing copyright may be vested and is consequently empowered to assign the
right in question without risk to ACCU for legal proceeding or investigation in this regard, for
ACCU’s use of the information for the purpose of this programme, including reproduction,
adaptation, and translation.
(2) It shall be the understanding of the Information Source (i) that in the event of reproducing
and reproducing of translation, by the competent national bodies in Asia and the Pacific or
their agents, no fee shall be charged by ACCU for such reproduction and reproduction of
translation and (ii) that ACCU may enter into an agreement with UNESCO or other related
organizations for acting as an agent of ACCU concerning reproduction and reproduction after
translation, and distribution outside Asia and the Pacific.
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ACCU
Draft Data Capture Sheet for
Institutions and Organizations
[country]
Romanized character
- Address
Telephone
Fax
- e-mail address
- Home Page
URL
Major activities
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Organizational
background
Information source
date
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98Sem/5-Annex III
1 Items to be covered
(1) Present situation, problems and future subject on the preservation and promotion of
traditional/folk performing arts
(2) Some concrete cases to illustrate the situation
(3) Categories/types of traditional/folk performing arts
(4) Administrative system for preservation and promotion of traditional/folk performing arts
(in chart form)
(5) Legal system for preservation and promotion
(6) System of training of personnel engaged in the preservation and promotion of
traditional/folk performing arts
(7) Information source
- The name of the person/institution/organization who is responsible for the
provided data/information
(8) date of the given information
2 Procedures
(1) Each of the participants’ reports ( (1) and (2) of the above) and the replies to ACCU
questionnaire ((3) to (6) of the above) for the present Seminar will be the basic materials.
(2) If any corrections, revisions and modifications are to be made, supply them with ACCU
by 31 July l998. For those who have access to e-mail, sending them by e-mail should be
highly appreciated.
(3) ACCU will do a minimum editorial work.
(4) Each of the data will be examined by the Consultative and Planning Meeting in Sept/Oct
1998.
(5) After compilation by ACCU, each data will be a part of Asia-Pacific data bank of
performing arts.
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Information source:
[name], [designation], [country], participant in the 1998 Regional Seminar for
Cultural Personnel in Asia and the Pacific (Tokyo, 24 February - 2 March l998)
organized by ACCU
Date of the given information should be the 2 March 1998 (the last day of the
Seminar) if no correction/revision/modification is to be made. If
correction/revision/modification is to be made, the date of the given information has to come
with it.
(1) The Information Source warrants that it/he/she has been authorized by the persons in
whom any existing copyright may be vested and is consequently empowered to assign the
right in question without risk to ACCU for legal proceeding or investigation in this regard, for
ACCU’s use of the information for the purpose of this programme, including reproduction,
adaptation, and translation.
(2) It shall be the understanding of the Information Source (i) that in the event of reproducing
and reproducing of translation, by the competent national bodies in Asia and the Pacific or
their agents, no fee shall be charged by ACCU for such reproduction and reproduction of
translation and (ii) that ACCU may enter into an agreement with UNESCO or other related
organizations for acting as an agent of ACCU concerning reproduction and reproduction after
translation, and distribution outside Asia and the Pacific.
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progress smoothly with the cooperation and the main tendency, problems, and difficulties
active participation of all of you, and that they that characterise the evolution of the traditional
will bear fruitful results. and popular cultures in this region and each
country.
In the middle of the course, two observation
tours are scheduled enable you to appreciate Secondly, to define strategies in the field of
Japan's intangible cultural heritage. I hope you cultural policy to preserve and promote
will be able to understand the situation of traditional cultures and folklore in line with the
intangible cultural heritage in Japan and find provisions of the UNESCO recommendation.
deeper friendship with each other through this And thirdly, to draw up the recommendations
opportunity. for future orientations and project proposals to
Lastly, I would like to convey our thanks to reinforce application of the UNESCO
UNESCO, the Japanese National Commission recommendation with particular reference to
for UNESCO and the Agency for Cultural regional co-operation.
Affairs, Japan, for their kind support in
organizing this seminar. Thank you very much. Eight years have past since the organisation
started conferences to adopt the recommendation
in November 1989. During this period, after
the fall of the Berlin Wall, political upheavals
Ms. Noriko Aikawa took place in many former communist countries.
Chief A number of new countries were born and many
Intangible Cultural Heritage Section ethnic groups thirst for their roots in their
Division of Cultural Heritage cultural heritage which is regarded as a symbol
UNESCO of people's identity. More particularly, many
basic aspects of the international heritage such
as people's traditional philosophy, religions, and
Mr. Nozaka, Deputy Secretary-General of knowledge whose practice had in many cases
Japanese National Commission for UNESCO, been prohibited, were considered as important
Mr. Wakamatsu, Director-General, Cultural elements supporting people in the process of
Properties Protection Department of the Agency nation building.
for Cultural Affairs, Japan,
Mr. Misumi, Director-General of Asia/Pacific At the beginning of the 1990s, it also became
Cultural Centre for UNESCO, evident that economic development strategy
Excellencies, designed on Western models could not be
Dear Colleagues, applied to other communities without taking
Ladies and Gentlemen, their specific social, cultural context into
account. Therefore, it was felt necessary to
It is a real honour and pleasure for me to conduct a thorough study on the history,
represent the Director General of UNESCO, Mr. traditional way of thinking, and the functioning
Federico Mayor at this regional seminar, which of local social system. More recently, socio-
is opening today at the Asia/Pacific Cultural economic globalisation and the rapid progress of
Centre for UNESCO (ACCU). communication techniques have accelerated the
uniformization of cultures of the world. It
First of all, I would like to express my sincere therefore became a matter of urgency to preserve
gratitude and appreciation to Mr. Misumi, the traditional and popular cultures specific to
Director General, Mr. Kusaba, Executive each community if we want to perpetuate the
Director, and to all the staff, particularly Ms. cultural diversity of the world.
Shibao of the ACCU who extended such a warm
welcome to all of us here today. As you aware, These are the reasons why preserving the
ACCU is well known to all Asian Pacific intangible cultural heritage has become an
countries for its important activities as well as important issue for the UNESCO Member States
for its efficient organisational capacity. since the adoption of the recommendation.
When they started to consider their traditional
The purposes of the present seminar are first of popular cultures, they realised that most of them
all, to undertake a careful assessment to identify had already been lost and that many of surviving
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parts were on the point of disappearing. They It is a great pleasure for me to say a few words
then requested the organisation to assist in the on behalf of the Japanese National Commission
definition of their national strategies to for UNESCO in opening the 1998 Regional
safeguard and promote their traditional popular Seminar for Cultural Personnel in Asia and the
cultures. It was decided, first of all, to Pacific "Preservation and Promotion of
undertake a general survey on the situation of Intangible Cultural Heritage".
their cultures by using the recommendation as a First of all, I should like to convey my heartfelt
tool. It was the Eastern and Central European welcome to all of you who have come here from
countries which first urged UNESCO to help Asia and the Pacific countries to participate in
them to evaluate the present situation of their this seminar, and to Ms. Noriko Aikawa, Chief
traditional popular culture in the process of of Intangible Cultural Heritage Section, Division
global transition. of Cultural Heritage, UNESCO.
The second seminar took place in Mexico is There are many forms of intangible cultural
September 1997 for the region of Latin America heritage in Asia and the Pacific region.
and the Caribbean. The present seminar However, prompt action to preserve this
mainly concerns the Asian Region. During the intangible cultural heritage is needed because
period of 1989 and 1999, UNESCO plans to most of it is in danger of disappearing due to
organise seminar evaluations for the Pacific, rapid social changes. Recently, increasing
Africa, and the Arab States. In June 1999, the attention has been paid to intangible cultural
organization the world conference on the heritage and the importance of preserving it.
implementation of the recommendation is How to implement effective activities for the
planned at Paris Headquarters to summarise the preservation and promotion of intangible
assessment made in all regions. cultural heritage is a common issue for the
countries in the region.
Ladies and Gentlemen, what UNESCO is
expecting from this seminar is not only to assess The government of Japan has been conducting
the present situation, but also and more various cooperative activities in this field such
particularly to obtain from all of you here today as providing support to ACCU's cultural
concrete and constructive recommendations to programmes and contributing to the UNESCO
further strengthen actions to safeguard the fund-in-trust for intangible cultural heritage.
intangible cultural heritage before it becomes I hope that the situation regarding intangible
too late. As you know, that it is our cultural heritage, especially traditional/folk
responsibility to hand this heritage down to performing arts, will be understood and that
future generations. I wish you the seminar a international cooperation for the preservation
great success. and promotion of intangible cultural heritage
will be furthered through this seminar.
Thank you.
Lastly, I should like to express my sincere
appreciation to Mr. Tetsuo Misumi and ACCU
staff members for their strenuous efforts to
Mr. Yasuo Nozaka prepare and organize this seminar. Also, I
Deputy Secretary-General hope the seminar will be successfully convened
Japanese National Commission for and that all the participants will benefit from it
UNESCO and enjoy their stay in Japan.
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Ms. Noriko Aikawa, Chief of Intangible Cultural cultural personnel in the region through
Heritage Section, Division of Cultural Heritage, providing opportunities to exchange information
UNESCO, and training, and the present seminar is the
Mr. Yasuo Nozaka, Deputy Secretary-General, twelfth. The theme of this seminar is
Japanese National Commission for UNESCO, "Preservation and Promotion of the Intangible
Mr. Tetsuo Misumi, Director-General, Cultural Heritage". I have heard that this
Asia/Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO, theme was decided in order to exchange
Distinguished participants, information on preservation and promotion
Ladies and gentlemen, activities concerned with intangible cultural
heritage such as music, drama, and performing
It is an honour for me to make a welcome arts, which are in danger of disappearing due to
statement in the opening of the 1998 Regional rapid social changes. Also, this theme was to
Seminar for Cultural Personnel in Asia and the consider making more effective and practical
Pacific "Preservation and Promotion of the plans for the preservation and succession of
Intangible Cultural Heritage" to the participants, intangible cultural heritage through situation
who are from Asia and the Pacific countries, and analysis and case studies on such activities in
the UNESCO representative. each country.
In Asia and the Pacific region, many forms of I hope the exchange of information and the
prominent cultural heritage, which are the fruits results of this seminar will contribute to progress
of long and diverse cultural activities and a the programmes for preservation and promotion
history which has lasted thousands of years, are of intangible cultural heritage in each country,
preserved and handed down. This cultural and advance international cooperation in this
heritage belongs only to the countries in the concern.
region but also to mankind in general. I think
that we have a duty to protect and hand down to In conclusion, I should like to convey my
future generations such heritage in cooperation heartfelt gratitude to all the staff members of
with each other. ACCU for their efforts to organize the seminar.
This series of seminars has been organized by Thank you very much.
ACCU since 1978 for the purpose of educating
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4. China
Holiday
Ms. Cai Liang-yu
Monday 2 March [Day 7] Professor
Head of the Foreign Music Research Division
9:30~11:00 Item 15 (continued) Music Research Institute
Chinese Academy of Arts
11:00~11:20 Recess
11:20~12:30 Item 16 Confirmation of the
major conclusions of the Part II of
the seminar
Item 17 Closing of the meeting
5. India
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7. Iran
11. Maldives
Mr. Behrooz Vojdani
Director Ms. Habeeba Hussain Habeeb
Department of the Social Anthropology Member of the National Council for Linguistic
Iranian Cultural Heritage Organization and Historical Research.
Director General, National Library
Chaandhanee Magu, Male'
8. Japan
12. Mongolia
Mr. Hiroshi Hoshino
Chief Senior Specialist, Cultural Properties Mr. Sonom-Ishiin Yundenbat
Traditional Culture Division Expert for the Intangible Cultural Heritage
Cultural Properties Protection Department Cultural Heritage Centre
Agency for Cultural Affairs
13. Nepal
Dr. Osamu Yamaguti
Professor Mr. Shri Krishna Gautam
Faculty of Letters Special Secretary
Osaka University Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture
Tripureshwor, Kathmandu
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