Vietnam prioritises safeguarding intangible cultural heritage facing risk of being lost

Product of embroidery craft village in Ninh Hai commune, Hoa Lu district, Ninh Binh province (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam will prioritise the protection of intangiblecultural heritage at risk of fading away or being lost, and those of ethniccommunities living in far-flung areas, according a newly-issued Governmentdecree.

The document stipulates that the principlein managing, protecting, and promoting the value of intangible cultural heritageis to ensure that they are practiced to guide people and communities towards goodcultural values, preserve identity, foster comprehensive social development,ensure community and social safety, and protect the environment.

Mo Muong belief of the Muong ethnic group in Nho Quan, Ninh Binh is recognised as national intangible cultural heritage. (Photo: VNA)

Heritage assets of different communities are equally respected, and the priority is given to the decision-making rights ofthe host communities for the long-term and continuous existence and practice ofthe heritage, in accordance with Vietnam's laws on cultural heritage andinternational documents to which Vietnam is a member.

For heritage inventory, those in the UNESCO’sRepresentative List will be checked every six years, every four years for those inneed of urgent safeguarding, and every three years for those in the nationallist./.

VNA