Historian and folk culture expert Ngo Duc Thinh. Photo nhandan.com.vn

Thịnh was born in 1944 in the northern province of Nam Dinh. He completed a doctor degree in 1980 in folk culture and became a Professor in 2002. He was a director at the Viet Nam Institute of Cultural Studies and member of the National Council for Cultural Heritage. He was also vice chairman of Asian Folklore Council.

During his career, Thinh was known as a leading expert on Mother Goddesses worship and related rituals such as hát văn (spiritual singing) and lên đồng (mediumship) and had written many books in this field. He was one of a number of advisors for the dossier on Mother Goddesses worship which was submitted to UNESCO.

He had also written books on the Central Highlands tradition and culture. Thinh was regularly interviewed by Viet Nam News journalists giving his valuable opinions and information on cultural heritage-relating articles.

His funeral will take place on June 8 and he will be buried in his hometown. — VNS