Lecture 1.3 Intangible Cultural Heritage CHAU Hing-wah

Lecture 1.3 

Intangible Cultural Heritage 

CHAU Hing-wah 

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Lecture Outline 

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Lecture 1.3 Intangible Cultural Heritage 

Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage: International Perspective 

International co-operation in preserving cultural heritage commenced in the 1930s. After 

years of discussion, the United Nations adopted a number of recommendations and 

declarations on the protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) in the 1990s with 

extensive support from countries all round the world. In 2003, UNESCO adopted the 

Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage which promulgated the 

“Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”. States Parties of the 

Convention then started to hold meetings to discuss the way forward in the safeguarding of 

ICH. 

� 1972. “Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural 

Heritage”(《保護世界文化和自然遺產公約》)aims at preserving cultural heritage with 

outstanding universal value. 

� To counter balance the globalization. 

� 1989. “Recommendation for the Safeguarding of Traditional Culture and Folklore”(《保 

護傳統文化和民俗建議書》) 

� 1992. UNESCO advocated “Cultural Rights” in which ethnic minorities have the right to 

develop their own cultures. 

� 1998. UNESCO launched the programme of Proclamation of Masterpieces of the Oral 

and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.(人類口頭及非物質遺產傑作宣言)。 

� Nov 2001. “Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity” of UNESCO(《世界文化多樣 

性宣言》) 

� May 2001. First Proclamation of 19 Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of 

Humanity. 

� 2003, 2005. Second and third proclamation of masterpieces. 

� Masterpieces in China: Kun Qu Opera, the Guqin and its music, the Uyghur Muqam of 

Xinjiang and the Traditional Folk Long Song Urtiin Duu (together with Mongolia). 

� Oct 2003. Adoption of “Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural 

Heritage”(《保護非物質文化遺產公約》) 

� April 2006. The Convention was enacted. The first General Assembly of States Parties to 

the Convention was held in Paris in June, and 18 State Parties, including China, were 

elected as members of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the 

Intangible Cultural Heritage. The first meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee was 

held in Algiers in Nov 2006 while the second was in China in May 2007. Two more

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extraordinary sessions of the Committee were held in Tokyo and the Republic of 

Bulgaria in Sept 2007 and Feb 2008 respectively. These sessions aimed at drafting 

Operational Directives. 

� June 2008. The second General Assembly was held in Paris. During the meeting, the 

Operational Directives of the Convention were adopted. States Parties were then 

requested to submit their applications for inscription on the List of the Intangible 

Cultural Heritage of Humanity to the UNESCO before 30 Sept 2008. 

Definition of Intangible Cultural Heritage 

The Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage defines ICH as 

follows: 

Article Two: 

1. The “Intangible Cultural Heritage” means the practices, representations, expressions, 

knowledge, skills – as well as the instruments, objects, artefacts and cultural spaces associated 

therewith – that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize as part of their 

cultural heritage. This intangible cultural heritage, transmitted from generation to generation, 

is constantly recreated by communities and groups in response to their environment, their 

interaction with nature and their history, and provides them with a sense of identity and 

continuity, thus promoting respect for cultural diversity and human creativity. For the 

purposes of this Convention, consideration will be given solely to such Intangible Cultural 

Heritage as is compatible with existing international human rights instruments, as well as with 

the requirements of mutual respect among communities, groups and individuals, and is of 

sustainable development. 

2. The “Intangible Cultural Heritage”, as defined in paragraph 1 above, is manifested inter alia 

in the following domains: 

(a) Oral traditions and expressions, including language as a vehicle of the Intangible Cultural 

Heritage; 

(b) Performing arts; 

(c) Social practices, rituals and festive events; 

(d) Knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe; 

(e) Traditional craftsmanship.

Safeguarding of ICH at the National Level 

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The Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage formally came into 

force in April 2006 when it was ratified by the 30th country. States Parties are required to 

compile an inventory of the ICH present in their own territories for protection. The 

Convention also includes articles concerning the safeguarding and promotion of ICH, which 

provides a very useful guide for the States Parties to comply with. 

Article 12 – Inventories 

1. To ensure identification with a view to safeguarding, each State Party shall draw up, in a 

manner geared to its own situation, one or more inventories of the Intangible Cultural 

Heritage present in its territory. These inventories shall be regularly updated. 

2. When each State Party periodically submits its report to the Committee, in accordance with 

Article 29, it shall provide relevant information on such inventories. 

Article 13 – Other measures for safeguarding 

Article 14 – Education, awareness-raising and capacity-building 

Article 15 – Participation of communities, groups and individuals 

Article 29 – Reports by the States Parties 

Safeguarding of ICH at the International Level 

The Convention established the “Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of 

Humanity”, the “List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding” and the 

“Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund” to promote and to ensure better visibility of ICH and to 

offer technical and financial support to those countries in urgent need of safeguarding the 

disappearing ICH - 

Article 16 – Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity 

Article 17 – List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding 

Article 25 – Nature and resources of the Fund 

Article 26 – Contributions of States Parties to the Fund

Article 27 – Voluntary supplementary contributions to the Fund 

Article 28 – International fund-raising campaigns 

Preservation of Intangible Cultural Heritage in China 

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China started her preservation work long before ratifying the Convention in 2004. The 

Ministry of Culture announced in September 2006 that the Chinese Academy of Arts(中國藝 

術研究院)in Beijing was accorded the title “The Protection Centre of Intangible Cultural 

Heritage of China”. The State Council issued policy documents which requested that 

safeguarding of the ICH should be on an inter-ministerial basis and that the first territory-wide 

survey of ICH in China should be conducted, and a system for inscribing ICH on the national 

list should be established. 

� 1998. The set up of Center of Ethnic and Folk Literature and Art Development in 

Ministry of Culture, Peoples Republic of China. 

� Jan 2003. The Project of Preserving China’s Ethnic and Folk Culture was launched 

through collaboration between Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Finance, State Ethnic 

Affairs Commission and Chinese Cultural and Art Association. The project will be 

completed in 2020. 

� May 2002. The Chinese Academy of Arts convened a seminar on the Safeguarding of 

ICH in China and formally launched the Project of Identifying, Safeguarding and 

Protecting the ICH in China. 

� 8 Aug 2004. The Standing Committee of the 11 th National People’s Congress approved 

the submission of ratification document to UNESCO such that China became the sixth 

country to ratify the “Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural 

Heritage”. 

� 26 March 2005. The State Council issued a policy document: “Directives on 

Strengthening the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Our Country”(《關於加 

強我國非物質文化遺產保護工作的意見》)which promulgated that: 

- Policy: Protection is the aim, salvaging comes first, reasonable use of the ICH resource, 

ensure transmission and succession. 

- Principles: Government Guidance, Society Participation, Explicit Responsibilities, Join 

forces Formation; Long-term Plan, Step-by-step Practice, Integration and Co-ordination, 

Promote Efficiency 

- Set up a liaison meeting system among 9 ministries for protecting ICH. 

- Establishment of a system of listing ICH at respectively national, provincial and county

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levels. 

� 22 Dec 2005. The State Council issued another policy document: “Notice on 

Strengthening the Protection of Cultural Heritages”(《關於加強文化遺產保護的通知》) 

� May 2006. State Council announced the first national list of 518 items of ICH. 

� Sept 2006. The Ministry of Culture announced that the Chinese Academy of Arts was 

accorded the title “The Protection Centre of Intangible Cultural Heritage of China” so as 

to undertake the preservation of Intangible Cultural Heritage and conduct the 

territory-wide survey in China. 

� June 2008. State Council announced the second national list of 564 items of ICH. 

Preservation of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Hong Kong 

Following China’s ratification of the Convention, Hong Kong SAR Government designated 

the Home Affairs Bureau to be responsible for the safeguarding of Intangible Cultural 

Heritage in Hong Kong. The Government is actively planning to conduct the first 

territory-wide survey of ICH in Hong Kong. An Intangible Cultural Heritage Advisory 

Committee was set up to advise the Government on the protection of Intangible Cultural 

Heritage. 

� 2003. Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau joined hands to apply to UNESCO for 

proclaiming Cantonese Opera as a masterpiece of “Oral and Intangible Heritage of 

Humanity”. 

� 2004. The Government of HKSAR (HKSARG) committed in November that the 

“Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage” would be 

applicable to the HKSAR and Home Affairs Bureau is the responsible policy bureau. 

� March 2006. An Intangible Cultural Heritage Unit was set up in the Hong Kong Heritage 

Museum to undertake the preservation work in compliance with the Convention. 

� Oct 2006. The Chief Executive’s Policy Address stated that the government would 

“commission a study to compile a comprehensive inventory of Hong Kong’s Intangible 

Cultural Heritage in accordance with the requirement of the UNESCO Convention for 

the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, with a view to strengthening their 

preservation and promotion in Hong Kong”. 

� Oct 2006. The Hong Kong Heritage Museum commissioned the Division of Humanities 

of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology to conduct a study of Hong 

Kong’s ICH with reference to the first provincial list of 78 items of ICH in Guangdong 

Province. 

� July 2008. An Intangible Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee was set up to advise the 

HKSAR on the conduct of the territory-wide survey.

Lecture Summary 

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The lecture mainly discusses three areas: (1) the definition of Intangible Cultural 

Heritage; (2) how to preserve Intangible Cultural Heritage in Hong Kong; (3) the 

development of values and categories in the preservation of cultural heritage to include 

Intangible Cultural Heritage. 

(1) Definition and Historical Background of Intangible Cultural Heritage 

Although it is a relative concept between Intangible and Tangible Cultural Heritage, the 

two categories are important parts of cultural heritage. Before 1970s, most nations only 

focused on preserving Tangible Heritage like historical buildings, monuments and 

archaeological relics. However, the Tangible Heritage refers to museums only if there is no 

human activity inside; so, the traditions and meanings in Intangible Cultural Heritage become 

part of preservation. As oral transmission is the major way of passing traditions of Intangible 

Cultural Heritage, the target of preservation is not an object but human beings. A more precise 

explanation is the preserving of the people who pass the Intangible Cultural Heritage to the 

next generation. 

Japan is the first country to start preserving Intangible Cultural Heritage. In 1950, it 

passed a law about preserving Intangible Cultural Heritage as “Invisible Cultural Heritage” 

(無形文化遺產), in which “invisible” means “intangible forms”. In 1962, South Korea also 

passed a law to preserve its Intangible Cultural Heritage. 

What is Intangible Cultural Heritage? The example of Kushida Shrine in Fukuoka City in 

Japan elaborates the definition. In Kushida Shrine, there is a five metre tall Kazariyama; the 

inscription of a stele next to it is carved with the words “guo zhongyao wuxing minzu wenhua 

cai” (Important Intangible Cultural Asset of Nation 國重要無形民族文化財). In this major 

festival every year, the local people patrol with portable shrines is an intangible and invisible 

medium of tradition by a particular group of people in a particular time and location. So, the 

medium of this invisible cultural tangible is the people; the preservation is for their activities, 

the location and the space of this activity. Another example is the wedding system in Japan. 

Many Japanese still hold their wedding ceremonies in shrines. The procedures and 

participants form an invisible cultural tradition in Japan. These wedding ceremonies are still 

held in Kushida Shrine, part of Shinto in Japan which is a more ancient religion than 

Buddhism. The wedding rituals in this shrine are the intangible cultural traditions passed

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through every participant. At the end of the wedding ceremonies, the participants leave and 

only the building of the shrine remains. We can never understand the meanings of these 

traditional activities without the knowledge of how people use this historical building. 

In 1972, UNESCO enforced the “Convention Concerning the Protection of the World 

Cultural and Natural Heritage”(《保護世界文化和自然遺產公約》)which is focused on 

Tangible Cultural Heritage but not the intangible ones. The Convention had great impact on 

the worldwide efforts on preserving cultural heritage; there are more than 800 heritage with 

outstanding universal value included in the list of World Heritages. As World Heritage is the 

facilitator of cultural tourism which encourages regional economic development, there has 

been “hot application of Intangible Cultural Heritage” in China in recent years. 

In the 1980s, it is discovered that some local traditions were not preserved and disappear 

rapidly in the globalization process. The global economic integration has been a way to 

counter-balance the globalization. It is a fact that a strong economy supersedes a weak 

economy and the same goes for cultures. 

The cultural shock is vigorous; many nations especially small countries advocate the 

protection of marginalized cultures and preserve the cultural diversity as a resistance. The 

meaning of Intangible Cultural Heritage is that there is no high or low culture so every culture 

enjoys the right to transmit through generations. In 1989, the United Nations passed 

“Recommendation for the Safeguarding of Traditional Culture and Folklore”《保護傳統文化 

民俗建議書》and promoted the concept of “Cultural Right” in 1992. 

“Cultural Right” by United Nations enshrines the right of every ethnic minority to 

develop their culture and not be eliminated by strong cultures. Language is an example. There 

are only about 6700 languages in the contemporary world according to the statistics of United 

Nations, though there were more than ten thousand languages in the past. Languages are the 

roots of the ethnic groups which show their expressive patterns and particular cultures. Since 

no one protects the marginalized languages, a language dies out as the speakers decrease in 

number. For example, there are different dialects like Hakka, Punti, Tanka used by different 

ethnic groups in Hong Kong; in the recent years, Cantonese assimilate these languages and 

becomes a major language. There are six official languages in the United Nations so that most 

of the world population are using these languages; the remaining six thousand languages are 

used by a small number of people and disappear faster than before. 

In 1998, UNESCO launched the programme of Proclamation of Masterpieces of the Oral 

and Intangible Heritage of Humanity(《宣佈人類口頭及非物質遺產傑代表作》)the purpose

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of which is to create a list for people to recognize the importance of intangible cultural 

heritage and local traditions. UNESCO announced the first proclamation of 19 masterpieces 

of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity 人類非物質文化遺產代表作 in May, 2001. 

There are 19 masterpieces and Kun Qu Opera of China is included. In 2003 and 2005, there 

are two more lists and the number of masterpieces increased to 90. There are four 

masterpieces from China: Kun Qu Opera (2001), the Guqin and its music (2003), the Uyghur 

Muqam of Xinjiang (2005) and the Traditional Folk Long Song Urtiin Duu (together with 

Mongolia) (2005). China has the highest number of masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible 

Heritage of Humanity in the world. 

The programme stopped soon afterwards. In October 2003, UNESCO adopted 

“Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage” 《保護非物質文化遺 

產公約》and it was enforced in April, 2006. The definition of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 

this convention includes the cultural practices, performances, knowledge, skills and local 

traditions. The definition has to satisfy two criteria: (1) it lasts for a long period, passing 

through generations; (2) the subject is an ethnic group or individual who builds up their sense 

of belonging, identity and historical consciousness in the passing of intangible cultural 

heritage. There are five domains in the convention, including (1) oral traditions and 

expressions, including language as a vehicle of the Intangible Cultural Heritage; (2) 

performing arts; (3) social practices, rituals and festive events; (4) knowledge and practices 

concerning nature and the universe; and (5) traditional craftsmanship. 

In Hong Kong, the five categories of Intangible Cultural Heritage include the following 

content. Oral traditions and expressions comprise Cantonese, Hakka, Waitou, Tanka and 

Hoklo dialects which are dying out rapidly; oral traditions like the story of Cheung Po Tsai, 

myth of Yeung Hau, princess story of Tang lineage of Lung Yuek Tau, story of Pui To 

Buddhist. The second category of performing arts includes Cantonese Opera, Naamyam, 

Puppet Opera, Chaozhou Opera of Hungry Ghost Festival. Cantonese opera once declined 

between 1970s and 1990s; however, the government gives some resources to promote it as 

education and so it tends to revive. Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau have cooperated to 

apply to the UNESCO to enlist Cantonese Opera in masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible 

Heritage of Humanity. Examples of local customs are ancestral rites of lineages in the New 

Territories, dragon boat parade of Tai O fishermen, Hungry Ghost Festival, Tin Hou Festival 

in Sai Wan of Cheung Chau, Tin Hou Festival of Shap Pat Heung, Birthday of Patron Saint of 

Expectant Mothers, Jiao festival of Cheung Chau, Shek O, Tai Long Wan and Kut O. These 

activities change in history but follow the major functions and meanings. However, they face 

difficulties like the people to inherit and their activity space gradually disappears under urban 

development. The fourth category includes the understanding of people to their cosmos world,

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like the customs of Tai Sui, villain hitting and Wishing Tree of Lam Tsuen; though these 

activities are categorized as superstition, they are the mediums of Chinese value systems and 

customs. The fifth category of traditional handicraft contains putting up a shed, basking 

shrimp paste, knowledge of weaving seine, street side food stall, basin meal, old market and 

so forth; some are disappearing and some have undergone great changes in meanings. Herb 

tea is enlisted in the Intangible Cultural Heritage at state level and so enjoys a revival. 

(2) Safeguarding Measures for Intangible Cultural Heritage 

According to “Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage”, the 

participant countries are required to create a list of their intangible cultural heritages. The list 

requires researches and surveys, such as the census conducted in Hong Kong. Another step is 

to form a mechanism for protection. UNESCO established the “Representative List of the 

Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”, the “List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need 

of Urgent Safeguarding” for national application. The “List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 

Need of Urgent Safeguarding” sets up an emergency fund by the countries to provide funding 

and technical assistance to preserve the heritage of small and poor countries. The third step is 

an Intergovernmental Committee by the participant countries in June, 2006 and 2008; the 

meetings established and enforced the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. 

In 1980s and 1990s, China participated in the making of convention. China became one 

of the countries to ratify the convention in 2004 and the State Council issued “Directives on 

Strengthening the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Our Country”(《關於加強我 

國非物質文化遺產公約的意見》)in 2005. A liaison meeting system among 9 ministries was 

set up for protecting Intangible Cultural Heritage; also, a system of listing Intangible Cultural 

Heritage at respectively national, provincial and county levels was established. A national 

census of Intangible Cultural Heritage was carried out from 2005. In September 2006, the 

Chinese Academy of Arts was appointed to be the centre of practical measures on census, 

researches and protections. 

In 2006, the State Council announced the first national list of 518 items with Cantonese 

Opera and herb tea by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau. In 2008, another list of 510 items 

was announced. 

To match up the work of the convention, the Hong Kong government set up the 

Intangible Cultural Heritage Unit under Hong Kong Cultural Museum in March 2006. A 

territorial-wide survey is proposed for the first proclamation. Also, in July 2008, the

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government set up the Intangible Cultural Heritage Advisory Committee of ten professionals 

and scholars to monitor the census and provide suggestions to the government on protective 

measures. After the listing, the government creates a series of protective measures of 

researches, preservation, promotion, education and reviving.

Lecture 1.3 Intangible Cultural Heritage CHAU Hing-wah

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