Long known as the cradle of civilization, the area that bounds from the fertile valleys of Al-Hasakeh, across the ancient deserts of Palmyra, and westward to the Mediterranean Sea, includes present-day Syria. Due to the vastness of the region, it is no wonder that Syrian cuisine boasts a rich culinary heritage dened by exceptional diversity and human creativity.

The punnuk is a tugging ritual of the village folk from three communities in Hungduan, Ifugao in Northern Luzon, Philippines. It is performed at the confluence of Hapao River and a tributary as the final ritual after the rice harvest. Its consummation brings to a close an agricultural cycle and signals the beginning of a new one. \n\nThe punnuk is a ritual of pomp and revelry. Garbed in their predominantly red-col-ored attire of the Tuwali ethno-linguistic subgroup, the participants negotiate the terraced fields in a single file amidst lush greens under the blue skies. The tempo builds up as the participants reach the riverbank, each group positioned opposite the other. The excitement is sustained through the final tugging match, and the sinewy brawn of the participants is highlighted by the river’s rushing water.

In Vietnam, activities aimed at the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage date from a much more recent period than the protection of tangible cultural heritage. This delay of over half a century in the development of preservation policies for intangible cultural heritage has been a big loss, which in some cases cannot be redressed. Because of the limited awareness of the full value of intangible cultural\nheritage, many ordinary people and culture owners have ceased practicing and transmitting their traditions. This has meant that there have been no inheritors to many traditions. Many oral heritage elements have disappeared forever, even from popular memory. The rapid change of socio-economic conditions has led to many changes in the spiritual and cultural life of communities. In the past, some intangible cultural heritage elements were considered backward or superstitious or belonging to the culture of the feudal class. As a result, culture bearers disavowed their heritage or were compelled to renounce their traditions. There are some social customs, forms of folk knowledge and technical skill that have become altogether extinct without any possibility of restoration or revival.

A growing interest in cultural heritage by the corporate sector has offered new opportunities to safeguard, protect, and present both tangible and intangible heritage. Through strategic investments of capital, expertise, and technology into the cultural sector, corporations offer an opportunity to revitalize a sector beleaguered with precarious government funding and unpredictable public support. Nicholas Pozek stressed that the cultural sector must continue to approach the commoditization and commodification of cultural goods with skepticism.

The Mongolia is rich in Shamanic heritage, including both physical artifacts, ritual sites, places of cultural or historical interest and protected landscapes (‘tangible’ heritage) together with rituals, ceremonies, folklore, music, handicrafts, and traditional knowledge ( known as ‘intangible’ heritage). Under Mongolian shamanism we can understand complete science of nomadic philosophy, TNGRI worship, Sacred of peak mountains ritual, parallel psychology of Heaven, earth, fire and human life and supernatural consciousness of Nomadic. On that account we could understand Shamanism is reliable source of Nomadic culture. The Mongols, who themselves worshiped Heaven but had respect for all other religions. The Shamans are merely respected as priests of Heaven./TNGRI/ In Shamanism; the world is alive full of spirits. The plants, animals, rocks, mountains and water, all have a soul. These spirits must be respected to be in the balance with all of them. Balance is an important thing to keep harmony within you, the community, and the environment. When things get out of balance, there are harmful effects. This is when we need a shaman for help. Shamanisms believe in a concept called buyan (physical power) that is very close to the belief of karma (fate). The shaman loses buyan (buyanhishig) by violating taboos, when he has no respect for spirits or our ancestors.

Co-orgarnized by ICHCAP and Hue Monuments Conservation Centre (HMCC), this year’s Asia-Pacific ICH NGO Conference was held in Hue, Vietnam under the theme of ICH NGOs towards Sustainable Development of Communities.

Law and Legal Documents on ICH \n\nLaw on Cultural Heritage indicates clearly that the cultural heritage in Vietnam is the valuable property of all ethnic groups of Vietnam and has its significant role in the sustainable development of the country. \nIn compatible with the 2003 Convention Vietnam rectified in 2005, the Law on Cultural heritage (2001) amended in 2009 with some articles on the identification of ICH, management, its safeguarding measures and designation of the master practitioners. The Article 1 on the identification of ICH states that “ICH is the spiritual product that is attached to the communities or individuals, relevant to tangible culture and cultural space. It expresses the cultural identity of communities, and has been continuously recreated and transmitted from generation to generation orally, through apprentices, performances and other modes of transmission."\n

Co-orgarnized by ICHCAP and Hue Monuments Conservation Centre (HMCC), this year’s Asia-Pacific ICH NGO Conference was held in Hue, Vietnam under the theme of ICH NGOs towards Sustainable Development of Communities.

The question of how to apply integrated approach in ICH safeguarding is a fundamental issue in implementing the 2003 Convention. It also entails further questions not only for intangible heritage field, but also other relevant cultural heritage fields.\n\nThis session aims to find out the best method of integrated approaches from the viewpoint of ICH safeguarding within the framework of the 2003 Convention. Such aim will require a discussion of the intangible value of tangible heritage and an inquiry of the tangible elements of ICH by looking into various case studies of 'cultural spaces’.\n

Dance is not the creation of a single individual but an entire culture developed by many people through the ages, gradually changing and being polished over time. As such, it is a valuable cultural heritage that embodies the character and emotions of a people and reflects the spirit of the times. Each movement and each step in dance, therefore, impart a sense of the history and lives of people of the past. (File, 2013, pp. 9–10)\nMovement disciplines like dance and martial arts embody the cultural heritage in which they developed. This chapter aims to map part of Korea’s cultural heritage by identifying certain movement characteristics shared by both traditional Korean dance and some traditional Korean martial arts. This chapter will also show how adaptations to fit with modern trends, such as K-pop music, can cause a martial art to lose its traditional character.\nThis study employed ethnographic descriptive research, cross-referenced with written work. My findings are based on the first-hand experience of practicing Korean martial arts, dance, and percussion (hourglass drum), and are further enhanced by years of observing Korean movement disciplines such as dance performances and informal interviews with traditional choreographers, dancers, and martial artists. Through this, I have identified specific movement characteristics that are present in both Korean traditional dance and many Korean martial arts. It is important to note that there are many types of Korean traditional dance, ranging from court dances, folk dances, and religious or ritual dances. My focus has been on those movement characteristics shared by most of these dance forms, thereafter identifying similar movement characteristics found in several Korean martial arts. These characteristics are not always present in every movement; however, most of them are usually perceivable and it is their synergy that gives a Korean “flavor” to these traditional movement disciplines.

Bhutan is a treasure trove of rich and unique tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Bhutan’s distinctive and often sacred cultures have been preserved and passed down through the generations. Today, the country is recognized for its unbroken and untainted immemorial cultural inheritance. One of the components of Bhutan’s varied intangible culture was royal court dances performed to entertain kings and their entourage at the palace.

Harmony, social cohesion, integrity, peace and tranquility and unity are; all outcome of good social networking system with core human value. And negative impacts are also inevitable if it is the organization’s aim and objective. But, information-sharing is the fundamental prerequisite for the aforementioned subject as it is a key ingredient for organizations seeking to remain competitive and dynamic. Ever since the human beings had entered the threshold of civilization, the tradition of networking had evolved simultaneously. The historical records explicitly exhibit unbelievable information of both tangible and intangible records. For example; tangible cultural heritage– the figures of the Seven Wonders of the World and the intangible accounts- the imperial figures, legends and myths living even today are the outcome of social networking system. Had there been no networking system, there may not be anything recorded at present but, unless someone has extraordinary capabilities or god-like strength and power.