VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam, Cambodia, the Philippines and South Korea will jointly apply for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s recognition (UNESCO) for tug of war as multinational cultural heritage.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has instructed the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in collaboration with the relevant agencies to submit the dossiers "The worship of Dao Mau (mother goddesses) of the Vietnamese” and the multinational dossiers “Rituals and game of tug of war” to the UNESCO for being considered as the intangible cultural heritage of humanity in 2015.

Tug of war is a folk game in Vietnam, Cambodia, the Philippines and South Korea that shows the team strength. This traditional game is usually held on the occasion of festivals and picnics, attracting many participants and audience.

Dao Mau refers to the worship of mother goddesses in Vietnam. The term draws together fairly disparate beliefs and practices. These include the worship of goddesses such as Thiên Y A Na, The Lady of the Realm (Bà Chúa Xứ), The Lady of the Storehouse (Bà Chúa Kho) and Princess Liễu Hạnh, legendary figures like Âu Cơ, the Trung Sisters (Hai Bà Trưng), and Lady Trieu (Bà Triệu), as well as the cult of the Four Palaces.

Dao Mau is pure Vietnamese folk belief with a long history and adaptation and transformation to social change. It looks towards the real life of human with the desire for health, fortune and luck. This belief teaches people to incline to the good, have the pure mind, know how to treat people, worship grandparents and ancestors and be grateful to those of gratitude.

T. Van