Intangible Cultural Heritage of Vietnam

Intangible Cultural Heritage of Vietnam
Name	Intangible Cultural Heritage of Vietnam
Alt	Traditional Vietnamese practices
Caption	Traditional performance in Vietnam
Location	Vietnam
Region	Southeast Asia
Criteria	Oral traditions, performing arts, rituals, craftsmanship

Intangible Cultural Heritage of Vietnam is the ensemble of living practices, expressions, knowledge, and skills transmitted within Vietnamese communities that reflect cultural diversity across the Red River Delta, Mekong Delta, Tonkin, Annam, and Cochinchina. It encompasses ritual ceremonies linked to sites such as Temple of Literature (Hanoi), performance genres associated with actors from Thang Long, and artisanal skills practiced in villages near Hanoi, Hue, Hội An, Đà Nẵng, and Ho Chi Minh City. Recognition by bodies like UNESCO, collaboration with institutions such as the Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts Studies, and engagement with organizations like Vietnamese Museum of Ethnology shape its safeguarding.

Overview and Definitions

Scholars define intangible elements drawing on frameworks from UNESCO and national laws, distinguishing between oral traditions tied to families in Hanoi, Hải Phòng, and Ninh Bình; performing arts from troupes in Huế and Cần Thơ; rituals performed at shrines such as Perfume Pagoda and Chùa Hương; and craftsmanship practiced in craft villages like Bat Trang, Thanh Ha, and Van Phuc. Definitions reference comparative research by academics affiliated with Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, and international partners including School of Oriental and African Studies and École française d'Extrême-Orient.

Legal Framework and Protection Mechanisms

Vietnam’s statutory protection relies on legislation enacted by the National Assembly of Vietnam and implemented by ministries such as the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and agencies like the National Commission for UNESCO in Vietnam. Instruments include lists maintained at provincial levels by authorities in Hanoi People's Committee, Thừa Thiên Huế Province People's Committee, and frameworks influenced by the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Administrative bodies coordinate with universities including Vietnam Academy of Music and cultural centers such as Vietnam Museum of Ethnology to operationalize conservation, documentation, and funding mechanisms linked to programs supported by UNESCO Bangkok and bilateral partners like the Japan Foundation.

Types of Intangible Cultural Heritage (Performing Arts, Rituals, Crafts, Oral Traditions)

Performing arts include genres such as Ca trù, Quan họ, Hát chèo, Hát tuồng, Nhã nhạc, and regional forms from Central Vietnam and Đồng bằng sông Hồng performed by ensembles from institutions like the Hanoi Opera House and troupes associated with Vietnam National Academy of Music. Rituals encompass ceremonies at sites like Mỹ Sơn and festivals such as Lim Festival, Huế Festival, and Kate Festival organized by ethnic communities including the Kinh, Tày, Nùng, Hmong, Cham, Khmer Krom, and Ê Đê. Crafts consist of pottery from Bát Tràng, silk weaving from Vạn Phúc, lacquerware from Hanoi and Hue, and stone carving from Ninh Bình, practiced in craft villages and preserved by workshops linked to the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum and craft cooperatives. Oral traditions cover storytelling forms such as Truyện Kiều recitations, folk proverbs preserved by elders in provinces like Nam Định and Thái Bình, and epic narratives among the Montagnard communities of the Central Highlands.

Representative List and UNESCO Recognitions

Vietnamese elements inscribed on UNESCO lists include Nhã nhạc (Royal court music of Huế), Quan họ folk songs of Bắc Ninh and Bắc Giang, and Ca trù in processes of recognition linked to local custodians, researchers from Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, and advocacy by cultural figures associated with Vietnamese Artists’ Association. National representative lists curated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism document dozens of elements such as Hát bội, Gennie?—[editor's note: maintain factuality] and regional practices showcased at events like Hanoi International Film Festival and Vietnam Heritage Festival. International cooperation with UNESCO, ILO projects on traditional livelihoods, and exchanges with institutions like Smithsonian Institution support nominations and safeguarding plans.

Regional and Ethnic Variations

Distinctive repertoires and techniques vary among populations in the Red River Delta, Highlands of Central Vietnam, Mekong Delta, and archipelagos off Phú Quốc and Côn Đảo, reflecting influences from contact with societies such as the Cham Kingdom, Khmer Empire, Rattanakosin Kingdom, and colonial interactions involving French Indochina. Ethnolinguistic communities—Kinh, Tày, Nùng, Hmong, Dao, Khmer Krom, Cham, Gia Rai, Ede, Ba Na—maintain rituals like rice offerings, water blessings, and communal festivals organized in coordination with provincial cultural departments in Quảng Nam, Đắk Lắk, An Giang, and Kiên Giang.

Transmission, Education, and Community Involvement

Transmission occurs through family lineages, apprenticeship systems in villages such as Sơn Tây, formal programs at conservatories like Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music, and community initiatives by NGOs and associations including the Vietnam Union of Literature and Arts Associations and local cultural clubs. Educational activities integrate intangible elements into curricula at institutions like Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City and training projects co-managed with partners such as UNICEF and BirdLife International to support younger practitioners and revitalization in urban contexts like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Challenges and Conservation Efforts

Conservation faces pressures from urbanization in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, market tourism in destinations like Hội An and Halong Bay, climate impacts in the Mekong Delta, and generational shifts among youth in provinces including Lâm Đồng and Thanh Hóa. Responses include documentation by the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, safeguarding projects funded by UNESCO and bilateral donors such as JICA and AusAID, and policy measures enacted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and provincial culture departments to support masters, intangible asset registries, and cultural tourism strategies that coordinate with institutions like the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism and heritage managers at sites such as Imperial City, Huế.

Category:Vietnamese culture