Ministry lists intangible heritage

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 Ví singing and Nghe An’s Dặm singing on the list.

Binh Dinh’s martial arts, Hai Duong’s water puppetry and the southern singing genre of Tài Tử have also been recognized by the ministry.

The popular Gióng 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 recognized as oral intangible cultural heritage.