Publications
Regional Collaboration for Safeguarding ICH in the Asia-Pacific Region: Tasks and Prospects
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Manage No DI00000677 Country Republic of Korea Author Dawnhee YIM (Distinguished Professor, Dongguk University) Published Year 2011 Language English Copyright 
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| Description | Intangible cultural heritage (ICH) has been described as diverse forms of culture infused with the rich history of humanity. It is precious heritage that is considered the foundation of people’s identity, showing the creative human spirit. The Asia-Pacific region has often been called an ICH treasure house because of the keen regional interest in, and the favourable social atmosphere of respect for, ICH. In addition, as the home to almost half of the world’s population, the vast Asia-Pacific region developed a unique cultural heritage with various peoples, religions, history, and social backgrounds. ICH in this region has adapted to its natural environment, ranging from grassland to ocean, and the cultural heritage has been transmitted from generation to generation. Furthermore, because many countries throughout the region were founded by multiple ethnic groups, varied cultures from these groups have been coexisting and flourishing. This intercultural mix can be seen in the regional melding of religions, such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and indigenous religions. These factors are why the Asia-Pacific region has also been regarded as a miniature version of World Cultural Diversity. The diversity and volume of ICH in the region is also seen in the UNESCO ICH lists; 47 percent of the inscribed elements on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity come from this region. Although the number of registrations does not implicitly represent ICH distribution, it shows that the region has taken a keen interest in ICH. | ||
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