VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has announced a list of 33 examples of intangible cultural heritage according to Cultural Heritage Law.

Head-to-head: Two buffaloes against each other during a buffalo-fighting festival in Hai Phong City. The festival is is among 33 examples of intangible cultural heritage listed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism according to Cultural Heritage Law.

The list – which contains cultural practices that cannot be physically defined – includes folk-art performances, traditional festivals, religious customs, oral traditions and handicraft techniques.

Eleven pieces of folk art were listed, with five having also been previously recognised by UNESCO as intangible world heritage.

The folk songs of the ethnic Cao Lan and San Chi in the northern province of Bac Giang join Ha Tinh's famous vi singing and Nghe An's Dam singing on the list. Binh Dinh's martial arts, Hai Duong's water puppetry and the southern singing genre of tai tu have also been recognised by the ministry.

The popular Giong Festival is among 11 traditional celebrations listed, alongside a fire jumping festival, a buffalo-fighting festival and a fish-worshipping ceremony.

Religious and spiritual rituals marked include the worship of the Vietnamese legendary ancestors Hung Kings, the title conferment ceremony of the ethnic Dao people, the forest genie worshipping of the Pu Peo people from Ha Giang Province and the grave moving ceremony of Khanh Hoa's Raglai population

The ideographic script of the Dao was also recognised as oral intangible cultural heritage.

Source: VNS