The Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports has launched an Atlas featuring the city’s 1,793 intangible cultural heritage forms following an intangible heritage inventory and preservation master plan carried out since 2013. 

The Atlas reflects the status of the forms which are in need of urgent protection or in the list of national and UNESCO recognition, serving the municipal authorities in building measures for efficient preservation. 

The heritage forms were divided into six groups, including oral literature, art performances, social-belief customs, traditional festivals, handicraft, and folk knowledge about nature, human life, production, medicine, food, and fashion. 

Dong Anh, Ba Vi, and Thuong Tin districts are the most culturally rich with each having over 120 different intangible heritage types, mainly festivals, social-belief customs, and handicraft. 

Oral literature and art performances are defined to requrie urgent need of protection, including folk singing like “hat xoan” in Thanh Hoai and Dong Anh districts, “hat tuong” (classical opera) in Chuong My district, and “ca tru” singing in Hoai Duc district.

VNA