‘Kok-boru’ is a traditional game played by two teams on horseback, where the players try to maneuver with a goat's carcass, or ‘ulak’ and score by putting it into the opponents' goal, or ‘tai-kazan,’ while riding on their horse companions. Modern games last for 60 minutes, with 3 periods of 20 minutes each. The team scoring most ulaks into the opponent tai-kazan wins.

Kyrgyzstan 2017

Traditional meal of the mountainous Tajiks. It is prepared with fatir (a kind of bread), dried sour milk melted butter, and onion.

National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea The Dano Festival held in Jain-myeon, Gyeongsan-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do is said to originate from a legend handed down in the village. During the Silla and Goryeo Periods, Japanese pirates frequently invaded coastal areas. A military general disguised himself as a woman and danced with his sister and clowns to entice the pirates, thereby winning a victory against the invaders. After his death, villagers built a shrine for him and held a sacrificial rite there on Dano (May 5 on the lunar calendar). During Gyeongsan Jain Danoje, villagers gather together in the square in the center of the market and hold a masquerade parade toward the tomb of the general. Standing right in the front is the bearer of a flag indicating the five directions, followed by one bearing a farm flag, and one carrying a tall (3m high) decorative crown. These are followed by dancing men, Higwangi (a character), a man disguised as a woman, military slaves, officers, cannon troops, gisaeng (female entertainers), troops, petty officials, a wide sun screen, the military commander, and the commander’s lieutenants. The paraders go around the tomb and return to the village square, while officiants hold a sacrificial rite at the tomb. The masquerade parade is a feature that distinguishes Gyeongsan Jain Danoje from other folk festivals. The dance movements are also unique. Lying at the heart of the festival is people’s deep-rooted respect for a person who protected their village. ※ Change in the name of the event (General Han Play → Gyeongsan Jain Danoje in March 2007)

Chhau is a major dance tradition of eastern India. It enacts episodes from epics Mahabharata, Ramayana, Puranas, traditional folklore,local legends and abstract themes through the idiom of dance and a music ensembles that consists primarily of indigenous drums. It is seen in its distinct styles in Seraikella, Mayurbhanj and Purulia that are neighbouring areas of the states of Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal respectively. Chhau of Seraikella uses masks. Its technique and its repertoire was developed by the erstwhile nobility who were both performers and choreographers. Mayurbhanj Chhau is performed without masks and has a technique similar to Seraikella. The Chhau of Purulia retains the spontaneity of folk art. It is also performed with masks. The population is largely agricultural, though with urbanization and an increasing pressure on land, people have come to depend on other means of livelihood, mainly as unskilled labour in small towns. Predominantly Hindus, their religious beliefs, festivals and rituals have been influenced by the pre-existing tribal customs. The Chhau Dance in its traditional context is intimately connected to the festivals and rituals of this region. Important among these is the Chaitra Parva held in the month of April. The month of Chaitra in the Hindu calendar celebrates the advent of spring and the beginning of the harvesting season. Thirteen days of dance-like rituals of Jatra Ghat, Mangla Ghat, Kalika Ghat and Brindabani are dedicated to Shiva and Shakti as the source of all cosmic creation. These culminate in a vibrant festival of dance. Support of the erstwhile rulers made it an important event. In present times, the festival is supported by funding provided by the provincial government. Any paucity in funds is fulfilled by garnering support from local sponsors. All the arrangements for this festival are done by an organizing committee that is constituted by the people themselves and has representation from all sections of the society. Various communities, according to their occupations were responsible for different aspects of the dance. This division, though blurred with time is still to be seen in activities like instrumentmaking, music, mask and headgear-making. While royal patronage was extended to the Chhau of Seraikella and Mayurbhanj, the Chhau of Purulia was sustained and developed by the people themselves. This whole exercise promoted popular participation and fostered a sense of commitment to the art that is still palpable among the people of these regions. Chhau traces its origin to indigenous forms of dance and martial practices. Important among these was the Paika tradition. Paikas were soldiers brought up by the native rulers of Orissa. The Parikhand khela (play of the sword and shield) in Seraikella Chhau and the ruk-mar-naach (meaning the dance of attack and defence) in Mayurbhanj Chhau clearly point to these martial moorings. The basic stances of Chowk and Dharan are common and have an inherent strong martial character. Some of the dancers that excelled in these techniques, for example the Parikhars in the Seraikella tradition were invited to perform at social/religious ceremonies. It is a people’s art as it involves the entire community. Performed by male dancers of families of traditional artists, or those trained under Gurus or Ustads (masters). It traces its origin to indigenous forms of dance and martial practices. Khel (mock combat techniques), chalis and topkas (stylized gaits of birds and animals) and uflis (movements modeled on the daily chores of a village housewife) constitute the fundamental vocabulary of Chhau dance. It is performed in an open space called akhada or asar and lasts through the night. The dancers perform a repertoire that explores a variety of subjects: local legends, folklore and episodes from the epics Ramayana/ Mahabharata and abstract themes. The vibrant music is characterized by the rhythm of indigenous drums like the dhol, dhumsa and kharka and the melody of the mohuri and shehnai. Rhythm is vital to the rendering of Chhau. Some of the rhythms of Chhau are from the repertory of drummers playing at births, deaths and other life-cycle ceremonies in households of this region. The composition of the rhythm is so structured that it is independently capable of expressing the emotive content of the dance.

India 2010

Inscribed in 2016 (11.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity Jeju Island, off the southern coast of mainland Korea, is a volcanic island with a population of about 600,000 people. Some landforms of the island were inscribed on the List of World Heritage in 2007. An average Jeju haenyeo holds her breath for one minute while diving ten- meter underwater to gather marine products. When a haenyeo exhales after each dive, she makes a unique sound called "sumbi-sori." A haenyeo works for six to seven hours a day in summer and four to five hours in winter. She dives about ninety days a year. The income generated from diving work significantly contributes to Jeju households. A Jeju haenyeo has her own mental map of the sea, including the location of reefs and the habitat for shellfish. She also has a command of local knowledge on the winds and tides. The maps and knowledge are acquired through repeated diving experience by each haenyeo. Most Jeju haenyeo rely upon upper-skilled haenyeo’s (sanggun) weather forecast for diving rather than listening to the official forecasts. Jeju haenyeo communities practice a shamanistic ritual for the goddess of the sea (jamsugut). The ritual includes prayers for safety at sea and an abundant catch. The ritual has a part for the haenyeo to sing a song called “Seoujet-Sori.” “Haenyeo Norae” (Haenyeo Song), which used to be sung while rowing their boat out to the sea for diving, has been an important part of Jeju haenyeo culture.

South Korea 2016

Kokpar Tartu (in Kazakh means 'taking goat away' is a traditional competition of horse riders for a goat carcass. 'Kokpar' or 'Kok bori' in Kazakh means 'grey wolf'. Originally kokpar attributed to three factors: 1) the players portray predatory steppe wolf attacking a herd and likewise destroy their sheep; 2) it is possible that in this way before fleeing with the production, so, probably, rescued from captivity the wounded batyr; 3) linked with the struggle of phratry for the carcass of an animal totem. This game is known among other peoples of Central Asia and East (Kyrgys Kok boru traditional game was inscribed to the Representative list in 2017). There are two versions of the game. The most common is 'zhalpy-tartys' ('common competition), where the winner will be the most skillful horseman. Another version of the game 'doda-tartys' (contest of two teams) - a struggle between the two groups, which include a certain number of riders participating in the contest. So, one of the riders jumps with a dead goat carcass, and the rest of the team's players are trying to take away the carcass. The aim of the game is to pick up and bring the goat carcass to the set location. Participation in kokpar tartu requires a high training of members, as this contest of the strength, agility, endurance, ability to stay in the saddle.

National Intangible Cultural Heritage, Republic of Korea Hanjijang refers to a craftsman skilled in the art of making traditional paper, hanji, from the bark of mulberry (Broussonetia kazinoki) trees and mulberry paste. Making hanji requires great skill and extensive experience. The mulberry bark has to be collected, steamed, boiled, dried, peeled, boiled again, beaten, mixed, strained, and dried; 99 processes are said to be required to get the paper in one’s hands, so the final process was also called baekji, meaning “one hundred paper.” Korean hanji was so famous back in the Goryeo Dynasty that the Chinese called the best-quality paper Goryeoji (literally meaning “Goryeo Paper”). Sun Mu from the Song Dynasty of China lavished Goryeo paper with praises in his book Jilin leishi (Things on Korea), saying that it was white and glossy and lovely. In the Joseon Dynasty, from the time of King Taejong, the state began to oversee paper production, establishing the office called Jojiseo (Paper Manufactory). In modern times, however, the change in architectural styles and housing environment and the import of paper have led to the virtual disappearance of traditional hanji. Today, because of high production costs, hanji is made with pulp imported from Southeast Asia rather than mulberry bark. To keep the art of hanji alive and pass it on to the next generation, the Cultural Heritage Administration has designated hanji making an Important Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Disclaimer : ‘Bioscope, A Cinema with Solo Performance’ is not an element officially designated by the government of Bangladesh and thus tentatively named by ichLinks secretariat to introduce the cultural expression with the name indicated above. We welcome your valuable comments and feedback about ‘Bioscope, A Cinema with Solo Performance’ and its information presented on this page. A bioscope is a box made of either wood or corrugated board in which one can load movie films, paintings, and still photographs on twin rotors. The twin rotors are made capable of rotating from the top with the help of a steering handle. Slides are fixed onto a cloth that functions as a screen. The cloth is attached to two sides of the box and hung on the handle. When the handle is turned, the slides appear in the screen one after the other to viewers that watch them through lenses in the bioscope. Bioscopes help to travel through the rural areas of Bangladesh and enjoy its old traditions anytime and anywhere. Bioscopes used to be a popular form of entertainment for rural residents before the radio, television, and computers were introduced to Bangladesh. Everyone enjoyed looking through bioscopes regardless of age. When a bioscope man showed images accompanied by stories, people felt as though they were watching movies. Bioscopes had social and cultural implications in the lives of those living in the rural areas. Gathering around a bioscope operator, people shared their joys and sorrows, building close relationships and confidence among one another. However, due to the development of modern technology as well as the arrival of new means of communication, bioscopes are now on the verge of extinction.