Seminar promotes preservation of tug-of-war rituals and games

Hanoi (VNA) – Experience in organising educational activities to preserve and promote the value of traditional tug-of-war rituals and games were shared among representatives of Vietnamese museums, relic sites and universities and those from the Gijisi tug‐of‐war preservation association in the Republic of Korea (RoK)’s Dangjin city at a seminar held in Hanoi on November 17.

The event was part of the 2023 Performance Festival of the Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity: Tug-of-war Rituals and Games.

President of the Cultural Heritage Association of Vietnam Associate Prof. Dr. Do Van Tru described the tug-of-war rituals and games as a valuable cultural heritage element, highlighting communities have an important role in preserving the folk games.

Representatives from the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology, Vietnam National Museum of History, Hanoi Museum, and Van Mieu – Quoc Tu Giam (Temple of Literature) shared their heritage education stories. They have developed attractive tours and join hands with schools to take students to the sites.

Meanwhile, Jeong Seok Yong, secretary of the Gijisi tug‐of‐war preservation association, said when Gijisi Juldarigi (tug-of-war) was recognised as UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the association developed a tug-of-war education box in 2020, which features information and models of the heritage as well as heritage education methods.

Director of the Hanoi municipal Department of Culture and Sports Tran Thi Van Anh said that education is significant to help the community get a better insight into the heritage’s values.

On the occasion, Dangjin city presented a tug-of-war education box to the Hanoi Museum, and introduced the unique traits of the RoK’s tug of war games.

The RoK's tug-of-war game uses a 200-metre rope made from straw. Tug-of-war rituals and games of Vietnam, Cambodia, the Philippines and the RoK were added to the UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2015.

The rituals and games are practiced in Vietnam’s Lao Cai, Vinh Phuc, Bac Ninh and Hanoi.

The Performance Festival of the Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity: Tug-of-war Rituals and Games is organised for the first time by the municipal Department of Culture and Sports in collaboration with the Cultural Heritage Association of Vietnam and Long Bien district from November 17-28. It aims at enhancing connectivity and exchange between communities that carry out the tug-of-war rituals and games.

The event drew the participation of nearly 500 artisans and practitioners from Vietnam, and the RoK’s Dangin city./.