Sustainable Research
Data Collection
for ICH Safeguarding
in the Asia-PacificRegionPROJECT REPORTFY 2019-2021
International Research Centre for Intangible
Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region
IRCI

Edited by
Wataru Iwamoto, Yoko Nojima, Aina Inoue, and Mieko Okura
Published byInternational Research Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region (IRCI)
2 cho, Mozusekiun-cho, Sakai-ku, Sakai City, Osaka 590-0802, Japan
Phone: +81-72-275-8050
Email: irci@nich.go.jp
Website: https://www.irci.jp
Printed by
Yubunsha
Published on
25 March 2022
© International Research Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region (IRCI), 2022
ISBN: 978-4-9909775-3-5

PREFACE

The International Research Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-PacificRegion (IRCI) was established in 2011 within the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage(NICH), Japan, as a Category 2 Centre under the auspices of UNESCO. Since its
establishment, IRCI has been working extensively to enhance research for thesafeguarding of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) in the Asia-Pacific region byimplementing research projects in cooperation with research institutes, museums,
NGOs, and government sections within and outside the region.
Since FY 2013, IRCI has been collecting research information related to ICH and its
safeguarding through projects such as the Mapping Project and the Literature Survey. In
the course of implementing these projects, it has become urgently necessary toestablish a more comprehensive and systematic data collection mechanism with thehelp of institutional cooperation and the research network of the country. Against thisbackground, the project ‘Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in
the Asia-Pacific Region’ was launched in FY 2019. The aim of the project is to collectresearch information related to ICH in a sustainable manner and to effectively update
the IRCI Research Database, thereby promoting research on ICH safeguarding. In thisproject, IRCI collaborated closely with research institutions in Asia, mainly in Southeast
Asia, for the last three years.
It is our great pleasure that IRCI is able to present this project report summarising thethree-year data collection activities and to share the lessons learned from the project
together with the summary submitted by the three countries’ National Counterparts.
From FY 2022, IRCI’s data collection will move on to the next step by changing its
regional focus, and reviewing these three-year activities will surely help us further
develop the project.
Finally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the National Counterparts andCollaborators who worked diligently to collect valuable research data. Thanks to theirsupport, we were able to collect and add a substantial amount of information to the
database during these three years. They also helped us understand the current ICH
research situation in each country. We were always thankful for their invaluable inputs
and suggestions with regards to the project.
I would also like to express my appreciation to the Agency for Cultural Affairs in Japanfor their generous support for this project through the Intangible Cultural Heritage
Partnership Program for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, programmeiunder the International Contribution Project for Cultural Heritage. Without its support,
it would not have been possible to implement this project.
I hope this report and the collected research information available in the IRCI Research
Database (https://www.irci.jp/ichdb/) will contribute to the promotion of ICH
safeguarding and research for safeguarding ICH.

March 2022
IWAMOTO Wataru
Director-General,
International Research Centre
for Intangible Cultural
Heritage in the Asia-PacificRegion (IRCI)ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface ....................................................................................................................................... i
Table of Contents .....................................................................................................................iii
Acronyms and Abbreviations ...................................................................................................iv

1. Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region:
Project Summary
Project Background and Purpose ...................................................................... 03
Data Collection Methodology ........................................................................... 06
Activities in the Project
FY 2019 ...................................................................................................... 10
FY 2020 ...................................................................................................... 13
FY 2021 ...................................................................................................... 18
Regional Workshop ................................................................................... 23
Overall Data Analysis ........................................................................................ 29
Conclusion
Findings and Challenges in the Project ..................................................... 38
Prospects ................................................................................................... 39

2. Data Collection Summary by National Counterparts
Indonesia ........................................................................................................... 43
Malaysia ............................................................................................................ 59
Viet Nam ........................................................................................................... 73

iii

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONSCOVID-19

Coronavirus Disease 2019

FY

Fiscal Year

ICH

Intangible Cultural Heritage

IRCIInternational Research Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage
in the Asia-Pacific Region

SIDS

Small Island Developing States

UNESCO

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

VICAS

Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts Studies

The 2003 Convention

The Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural
Heritageiv

1

Sustainable Research
Data Collec�on for
ICH Safeguarding in
the Asia-Paciﬁc Region:
Project Summary

SUSTAINABLE RESEARCH DATA COLLECTION FOR
ICH SAFEGUARDING IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC REGION:PROJECT SUMMARY
International Research Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage
in the Asia-Pacific Region (IRCI)PROJECT BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
The project ‘Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the AsiaPacific Region’ was launched in FY 2019 as one of the research projects under Activity
Focus I: Promoting Research for ICH Safeguarding. In the project, the International
Research Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region (IRCI)
collected research information, such as articles, books, theses, and proceedings related
to ICH and its safeguarding with the cooperation of research institutions in Asian
countries. The collected research information has been added to the IRCI Research
Database 1 that is accessible online.
Development of the Data Collection Project
IRCI has been collecting research information in the field of intangible cultural heritage(ICH) through various projects. The first project focusing on the research data collection
was called the Mapping Project 2, started in FY 2013 and continued as Literature Survey
until FY 2018. In this project, IRCI has identified information on researchers, research
institutions, and research activities in the ICH field and ‘mapped’ such information
scattered across the region. The Mapping Project was a collective term for three interrelated activities: International Experts Meeting, Literature Survey on ICH Safeguarding
Research in Asia-Pacific Countries, and Research Data Collection on ICH Safeguarding in
the Asia Pacific Region and Optimisation of Its Use (Figure 1).
In the International Experts Meeting, IRCI invited experts in the field of ICH, who
conducted research data collection/literature survey, to analyse the collected research
IRCI Research Database: https://www.irci.jp/ichdb/
Mapping Studies on the Safeguarding of ICH in the Asia-Pacific Region, implemented as theActivity Focus I.

1
2

Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021 | 3

Figure 1: Structure of the Mapping Project

information and to grasp the ICH research situation in the region. At the meetings,
participants also discussed challenges found in the course of the Literature Survey
project, as well as effective ways to collect research information. In the Literature Survey
project, IRCI collected information from publications, such as books, journal articles, andreports, and also information on researchers, research institutions, and research
activities related to ICH safeguarding, in cooperation with researchers in each country.
The Research Data Collection on ICH Safeguarding in the Asia Pacific Region and
Optimisation of Its Use was related to the development and management of the IRCI
Research Database. The database is one of the accomplishments of the Mapping Project.
To constantly update the database, IRCI continuously collects research information bylaunching the current Sustainable Research Data Collection project.
In the Mapping Project, IRCI mainly cooperated with individual researchers, and thetarget information was, in principle, limited to research information on ‘ICH
safeguarding’. However, several challenges were identified during the course of the
project. For example, it was revealed that, although many countries in the Asia-Pacificregion had ratified the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural
Heritage (hereinafter referred to as ‘the 2003 Convention’), a basic understanding of thedefinition of ICH has not been popularised thoroughly among research institutions andgovernment officials in the region. Thus, the quality and focus of the information varied
depending on researchers due to the differential understanding of the 2003 Convention
and ICH safeguarding. There were also other issues such as limited information sharing
among research institutions and a high risk of the loss of archived research materials
due to poor storage conditions and limited access.

4 | Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021

In assessing the data collection activity conducted between FY 2016 and FY 2018, IRCI
gathered recommendations and suggestions from ICH experts. As mentioned above,
because some challenges were found in cooperation with individual researchers, it wassuggested, among others, to continue the literature survey under the new project by
establishing partnerships with institutions.
Launch of the Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the AsiaPacific Region
Against this background, IRCI launched the project ‘Sustainable Research Data Collection
for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region’ in FY 2019 to establish a new mechanism
for data collection in cooperation with research institutions.
Since IRCI has found some issues in cooperating with individual researchers in the
Mapping Project, such as inconsistent data quality or interruption of data collection due
to personnel change, it has established partnerships with research institutions, including
universities, museums, and NGOs. The expected advantages of inter-institutional
cooperation are as follows:
1) Project continuity: Even if the person in charge of the project is changed, theproject can be continued with another applied person, ensuring thesustainability of the data collection.
2) Accumulated research information: Many research institutions have alreadyaccumulated research information, including their publications, which facilitates
data collection.
3) Effective promotion of ICH research and its safeguarding: By establishing a datacollection network at the institutional level, information sharing would be more
effective, and research will be promoted. For instance, cooperation with
universities allows young researchers, including students, to learn about thecurrent state of ICH research, instigating their own research.
The purpose of the project is not only to collect research information and make itavailable on the IRCI Research Database but also to enhance research on ICH among
research institutions. In the project, collaborating research institutions were expected
to build a network among institutions within the country while conducting datacollection over multiple years to effectively and sustainably collect information. This also

Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021 | 5

allows them to share the latest research related to ICH and encourages further researchon ICH. Workshops and meetings inviting researchers, including students and young
researchers, were held multiple times during the course of the project.

DATA COLLECTION METHODOLOGY
Selecting Cooperating Institutions (National Counterparts)
The data collection process started with selecting cooperating institutions in the AsiaPacific region, which functioned as a focal point and hub for collecting research
information in each country. These cooperating institutions are called ‘National
Counterparts’ and are chosen from among those who have comprehensive researchexperiences related to ICH in their own countries. In the selection process, priorities
were given to research institutions with which IRCI had already cooperated in past
projects, while other organisations were considered in the hope of building a new
relationship.
Phases of Data Collection
Data collection was conducted in three phases, and the major activities in each phaseare shown in Table 1.
Table 1: Major activities by phase
Phase

Major Activities

Phase 1-

Collect 10 research information by their institution.

Phase 2-

Identify 2 cooperating research institutions in their country, and establish
a data collection network.
Collect 50 research data in total (National Counterpart: 10, each National
Collaborator: 20).

Phase 3-

Add at least one cooperating institution in the existing data collection
network.
Collect at least 70 research data in total (National Counterpart: 10, each
National Collaborator: 20).

6 | Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021

Phase 1 is regarded as a ‘pilot phase’ of data collection, and in this phase, National
Counterparts are expected to collect 10 pieces of research information by themselves.
In Phase 2, National Counterparts were asked to find two research institutions in theircountry to cooperate with and establish their own data collection network (Figure 2).
The purpose of doing this is not just to collect research information systematically but
also to enhance information sharing in ICH research among institutions within the
country. It was expected that information sharing among research institutions would
widen the focus of research, thereby contributing to the country’s ICH safeguarding
through academic activities and the promotion of the 2003 Convention. The cooperating
institutions of the National Counterparts are called ‘National Collaborators’.
National Counterparts are responsible for coordinating and corresponding with each
National Collaborator for all activities related to the project. They are also responsible
for reviewing the information gathered by the National Collaborators before submitting
the data to IRCI to ensure the integrity and quality of the collected data.
The amount of information to be collected by National Counterparts is 10 items, as inPhase 1. The amount of data to be collected by National Collaborators is 20 items each;
therefore, 40 items were collected from the National Collaborators. Accordingly, thetotal amount of research information collected in each country was 50 items.

Figure 2: Data collection mechanism during FY 2019–2021

Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021 | 7

Phase 3 is the last phase of the project, and the National Counterparts are expected to
expand their data collection network by adding at least one new National Collaborator.
The amount of data to be collected is the same: 10 items from the National Counterpartand 20 items per National Collaborator. In this phase, 70 research data points were
expected to be collected.
Uploading Collected Data to the IRCI Research Database
After receiving research information from each National Counterpart, IRCI reviewed thedata entry sheet to examine whether all necessary information was provided properly
and correctly. For example, if research information is accessible online, it is crucial tocheck if the given URL is valid. In addition, typing and grammatical errors in English
abstracts were reviewed and corrected.
After the review and corrections, all data were uploaded to the IRCI Research Database.
Criteria for Data Collection
The National Counterparts were expected to collect research information, such as
journal articles, books, and theses, which are related to ICH and its safeguarding. If there
were publications from their own institution that matched the project’s scope, IRCI
asked the National Counterparts to collect them on a priority basis.
Data collection was conducted according to the guidelines developed by IRCI. In theseguidelines, the variety of research information to be focused on and the data collection
procedures were specified. In addition to the guidelines, IRCI has developed data entry
sheets in Excel format, in which the National Counterparts were expected to fill in thenecessary information, such as basic bibliographic information including article title,
author name, and publisher name, as well as additional specific information for the
purpose of the IRCI Research Database (e.g. ICH genres, research focuses, and abstracts
in English; Table 2).
ICH genres, research focuses, and English abstracts are important information forunderstanding the value of materials in terms of research on ICH safeguarding. In the
IRCI Research Database, ICH genres and research focuses are currently used as search
options, which enables the user to find specific research information (Figure 3). In
addition, the words used in the English abstracts were searched in the keyword box.

8 | Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021

Table 2: Information collected in the project
Basic Information
Title in the original language
Title in English
Journal or book title in the original language
Journal or book title in English
Publication format
Keywords
Pages
Written language
Author’s name(s) in original language and English, as well as author’s affiliation
Year of publication
Publisher
Place of publication
ISBN/ISSN/e-ISSN/DOI (if available)
Publication category
Peer-review (done or not)URL link to the article/essay (if available)
Research Focus
Name(s) of ICH element(s) concerned in the study
Academic field of study
ICH genre(s)oral tradition; performing arts; social practices; rituals; festive events; ecologicalknowledge and practices; worldview; traditional craftsmanship; sports/games; foodculture; traditional medicine; ICH in general; others.
Region/community/ethnic group/any other group of people/individuals discussed in the
study
Research focus(es)identification; policy-making; documentation; promotion; transmission; revitalisation;
training; definition; education; awareness-raising; capacity building; intangibletangible interface; heritage management; disaster prevention; others
Abstract in English
Summary/Abstract for each article (*less than 500 words)

English abstracts are the most important information to be given in the data entry sheet.
In the former Mapping Project, it was found that there were still a number of research
information written in various languages in the Asia-Pacific region. However, researchmaterials written in a non-English language is hard to find for the researchers who are
not familiar with the language, even though they have a significant research value andpotential to contribute to ICH safeguarding. To overcome this situation, IRCI Research
Database has been providing English abstracts with the aim of enabling such research
information to see the light of day.

Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021 | 9

Figure 3: Search options of the IRCI Research Database

The usefulness and effectiveness of both the guidelines and the data entry sheet werereviewed at the end of every fiscal year, reflecting the inputs of the project participants.
Minor revisions were made without changing the basic direction of the data collection
project.
In addition to collecting research information, National Counterparts were asked to gain
permission from the authors or the person/institution who had the right to the
publication. This was an important process in this project.

ACTIVITIES IN THE PROJECTFY 2019
Within FY 2019, IRCI undertook activities as summarised in Table 3.
Table 3: Major activities in FY 2019
Date

Activities

April 2019

Identify target countries and potential partners.

26–27 June 2019

The First Working Group Meeting (in Tokyo).

August 2019

Translate the Guide for National Counterparts in local languages.

1 October 2019

Submission of the research data and summary report.

4–5 February 2020

The Second Working Group Meeting (in Tokyo).

10 | Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021

Project Planning
The activities in FY 2019 began with the identification of the target countries andpotential partners. Consequently, seven organisations in six countries (i.e. Indonesia,
Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, the Philippines, and Viet Nam) were selected as project
partners or National Counterparts to lead data collection activities in each country. To
explain the project and discuss possible cooperation with these institutions, IRCI
organised the First Working Group Meeting in June 2019.
The First Working Group Meeting
Venue: Tokyo National Museum
Date: 26–27 June 2019
Participants: Potential cooperative institutions from Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand,
the Philippines, and Viet Nam

Inviting researchers/experts from potential cooperating institutions, the First Working
Group Meeting was held on 26–27 June 2019 in Tokyo to discuss the new data collection
scheme and cooperating mechanism. Accordingly, six research institutions fromIndonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, the Philippines, and Viet Nam agreed toestablish a partnership with IRCI and collaborate in data collection. The Guide for
National Counterparts was also developed at the meeting, which was translated into
seven languages (i.e. Burmese, Javanese, Malay, Russian, Thai, Tagalog, andVietnamese) with the aim of better understanding the instructions.
Data Collection
Duration: July 2019–October 2019IRCI was able to conduct data collection in five countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar,
Thailand, and Viet Nam. Regarding research institutions in the Philippines, datacollection in this fiscal year became difficult because of schedule conflicts. In Myanmar,
the process of concluding an agreement with an institution with which IRCI originallysought to establish cooperative relationships did not proceed smoothly. However, arepository of Yangon University was connected to the IRCI Research Database in courseof the project ‘Research Data Collection on ICH Safeguarding in the Asia Pacific Region
and Optimisation of its Use’. In this process, research information was submitted anduploaded to the IRCI Research Database.

Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021 | 11

After beginning data collection, IRCI closely monitored their activities, includingorganising a follow-up meeting and regularly checking up for updates to assess the
progress of data collection. Finally, 52 research information items were collected andsubmitted on 1 October 2019 (Table 4).
The Second Working Group Meeting
Venue: Tokyo National Museum
Date: 4–5 February 2020
Participants: National Counterparts

After the submission of the collected data, IRCI organised the Second Working Group
Meeting. The purpose of these meetings was twofold. First, the meeting allowed
participants to share the results of the data collection and analyse the findings in detail.
Second, the meeting provided the participants and IRCI an opportunity to evaluate theactivities carried out in the first year (Phase 1) and discuss possible measures for
improvements. This includes the revision of the Guide for National Counterparts and theidea of organising National Workshops for some countries in the process of datacollection. In addition to the researchers who participated in the data collection in FY
2019, three research institutions in India and Bangladesh were invited to join themeeting as observers and potential collaborators in the next fiscal year and shared thecurrent status of ICH research in each country.
Table 4: List of National Counterparts and the number of submitted data in FY 2019
Submitted
Country
National Counterpart
Data
Indonesia

Faculty of Cultural Science, Department of Archaeology,
Gadjah Mada University (UGM)[Ms Mahirta]

10

Malaysia

University of Malaya (UM)[Mr Hanafi Hussin]

12

Myanmar

University of Yangon

10

ThailandThammasat Museum of Anthropology, Thammasat University[Mr Tiamsoon Sirisrisak]

10

Viet Nam

Vietnam National Institute for Culture and Arts Studies(VICAS)[Mr Bui Hoai Son]

10

TOTAL

52

12 | Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021

Feedback on the Activities in FY 2019 from the Collaborators
At the meetings and through a questionnaire survey, IRCI solicited feedback on the
project from the participants, and some challenges were identified.
Although the challenges involving different understandings of ICH and its safeguarding
were addressed during the First Working Group Meeting, a concern remained that theimportance of research as a safeguarding measure was not sufficiently recognised
compared to more obvious measures, such as inventory making. Some data collection
results showed a significant emphasis on inventory making because of the country’s
strong political agenda to inscribe more elements to the representative list of the 2003
Convention.
Other concerns, such as a lack of interest in ICH research among the academic
community, low motivation, and the limited number of young researchers, were also
raised. In addition, conditions related to copyright and censorship in some countries
have hindered or slowed the data collection process and affected the selection of data
to be collected.
After reviewing the data submitted at the meeting, all 52 pieces of research data wereadded to the IRCI Research Database and made publicly available in March 2020.

FY 2020
Within FY 2020, IRCI undertook activities as summarised in Table 5.
Table 5: Major activities in FY 2020
Date

Activities

March 2020–April 2020

Identify new target countries and potential partners.

May 2020

Revise the Guide for National Counterparts.

June 2020

Web meetings with National Counterparts for project
orientation.

27–28 July 2020

National Workshop in Indonesia.

4 August 2020

National Workshop in Malaysia.

1 October 2020

Submission of the research data and summary report.

9 February 2021

The Third Working Group Meeting.

Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021 | 13

Planning
In FY 2020, four National Counterparts in Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Viet Nam
agreed to continue collecting the research data in Phase 2. However, in finding newcooperating research institutions, IRCI faced difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic
outbreak, which began to spread in December 2019.
Prior to the beginning of FY 2020, IRCI contacted three research institutions in
Bangladesh, one each in India, Pakistan, and Myanmar, with which IRCI cooperated in a
database-related project, to ask their interest in participating in the project.
Consequently, two research institutions in Bangladesh, one research institution in India
and Myanmar expressed their interest. However, the rapid global spread of COVID-19
compelled IRCI to observe the situation first, and the discussion and communication oncooperation did not progress significantly. To overcome this situation, IRCI contacted
research institutions in countries that were less affected by the pandemic. Consequently,
the University of the Philippines-Diliman expressed interest in joining the project andagreed to conduct data collection in the Philippines.
Finally, data collection in FY 2020 was conducted in five countries in Southeast Asia:
Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Viet Nam as Phase 2 and the Philippines as Phase 1.
However, due to the impact of COVID-19, coordination with National Counterparts in atimely manner was difficult, and delays or changes in programmed activities were
inevitable.
Data Collection
Duration: June 2020–October 2020

The National Counterparts in Phase 2 were expected to establish a data collection
network by cooperating with two research institutions in their country. However, due
to the regulations caused by the pandemic, many universities were closed, andcoordination with cooperating universities was difficult for the National Counterparts.
Despite such difficulties, three National Counterparts, excluding Thailand, were able tofind their cooperating institutions and establish a data collection network.
The research data collected in FY 2020 totalled 170, and they were uploaded to the IRCI
Research Database in March 2021 (Table 6).

14 | Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021

Table 6: List of National Counterparts/National Collaborators and the number of thesubmitted data in FY 2020
National Counterpart &Submitted
CountryPhase
Data
National Collaborators
Faculty of Cultural Science, Department ofArchaeology, Gadjah Mada University (UGM)[Ms Mahirta]
Indonesia

Malaysia

Viet Nam

ThailandThe
Philippines

2

2

2

10

Hasanuddin University

20

Balai Pelestrani Nilai Budaya (BPNB)* Office of Cultural Value Preservation in
Yogyakarta

20

The University of Malaya (UM)[Mr Hanafi Hussin]

20

University Malaya Sarawak (UNIMAS)

10

University Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)

10

Vietnam National Institute for Culture and Arts
Studies (VICAS)[Mr Bui Hoai Son]

10

Vietnamese Academy of Social Sciences

20

Vietnam National University

20

2

Thammasat Museum of Anthropology, Thammasat
University[Mr Tiamsoon Sirisrisak]

20

1

Folklore Studies Program and the Department of
Anthropology of the College of Social and Philosophy,
University of the Philippines-Diliman (UP)[Mr Carlos P. Tatel, Jr.]

10

TOTAL

170

National Workshop
As recommended in the Second Working Group Meeting in FY 2019, National
Workshops were held in Indonesia in July and Malaysia in August 2020. Considering the
COVID-19 pandemic situation, these workshops were held in a hybrid style; local
participants attended the meetings in place and IRCI joined them online. The details of
the workshop are as follows:

Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021 | 15

Workshop in Indonesia
Venue: Gadjah Mada University (online/in-person hybrid)
Date: 27–28 July 2020
Participants: National Counterpart, National Collaborators, researchers from selected
Indonesian research institutions, young researchers, students, and IRCI

Purpose:- Introducing the ‘Sustainable Research Data Collection’ project and the IRCI
Research Database to participants- Sharing information on current ICH research in Indonesia, thereby raisingawareness of the importance of ICH study and ICH safeguarding
Content:- Introduction of the data collection methodology by Gadjah Mada University- Presentations by National Collaborators and Indonesian researchers on the latest
ICH research in Indonesia- Discussion on the challenges in ICH researchWorkshop in Malaysia
Venue: University of Malaya (online/in-person hybrid)
Date: 4 August 2020
Participants: National Counterpart, National Collaborators, young researchers including
students, and IRCI

Purpose:- Introducing the ‘Sustainable Research Data Collection’ project and the IRCI
Research Database to participants- Sharing information on current ICH research in Malaysia, thereby raising awarenessof the importance of ICH study and ICH safeguarding
Content:- Presentations by National Collaborators on the latest research projects they werecarrying out- Presentations by young researchers on their experiences in ICH research
Discussion on ICH research and its safeguarding

16 | Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021

The Third Working Group Meeting
Venue: Tokyo National Museum
Date: 4–5 February 2020
Participants: National Counterparts and National Collaborators

After the submission of the research data from the National Counterparts, the Third
Working Group Meeting was organised by IRCI as a summary of the data collection
activity conducted in FY 2020. The purpose of the meeting was to share the outcomes,
review the collected data, and discuss the challenges found in the course of the datacollection, as well as the activity plan for the next fiscal year. The meeting was held
online on 9 February 2021 and attended not only by National Counterparts but also by
National Collaborators, as well as potential cooperating institutions from Bangladesh
and India for the next fiscal year.
At the meeting, each National Counterpart analysed the data collected in their country
and presented the results. Mr Hanafi Hussin from the University of Malaya also
conducted an overall analysis of the data collected in FY 2020 and reported the results
at the meeting as well.
In addition, one research institution in India and two in Bangladesh presented thecurrent status of ICH research in their country by referring to their publications.
Feedback on the Activities in FY 2020 from the Collaborators
Similar to the previous year, at the meeting and through the questionnaire, IRCI
gathered feedback from project participants. The challenges identified in this fiscal year
are as follows.
The challenges in FY 2020 were mainly related to the COVID-19 pandemic. For example,
since universities and libraries were closed in many countries due to the emergency
regulations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, access to research information was
difficult, leading to a delay in data collection.
In addition, the process of obtaining permission from the authors to release their
publication information in the IRCI Research Database took a relatively long time insome countries.

Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021 | 17

FY 2021
Within FY 2021, IRCI undertook activities as summarised in Table 7.
Table 7: Major activities in FY 2021
Date

Activities

March 2021–June 2021

Identify new target countries and potential partners.

May 2021

Revise the Guide for National Counterparts.

25 November 2021

National Workshop in the Kyrgyz Republic.

29 November 2021

National Workshop in Malaysia.

30 November 2021

National Workshop in Viet Nam.

1 December 2021

Submission of research data.

20 December 2021

Submission of the summary report (Phases 1 and 2)/ final report(Phase 3).

21 January 2022

Regional Workshop.

Planning
In FY 2021, four National Counterparts from Indonesia, Malaysia, Viet Nam, and thePhilippines agreed to continue the project. Concerning the National Counterpart in
Thailand, the continuation of the project was difficult due to personnel changes.
However, they proposed other possible cooperating institutions in Thailand.
Consequently, Srinakharinwirot University took over the project from Thammasat
University and conducted data collection in Phase 2.
Concerning the new countries participating in the project, IRCI was initially incommunication with research institutions in India and Bangladesh. However,organisations in both countries were severely affected by COVID-19, and it became
unlikely for them to participate in the project. Meanwhile, IRCI looked for institutions inother countries that would be capable of undertaking the project activity within thisfiscal year, considering each country’s COVID-19 situation. Finally, the Aigine Cultural
Research Center (Aigine CRC) in the Kyrgyz Republic had an interest in the project andjoined it as a National Counterpart.
Accordingly, six National Counterparts in Indonesia, Malaysia, Viet Nam, Thailand, thePhilippines, and the Kyrgyz Republic collected data in FY 2021.

18 | Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021

Data Collection
Duration: June 2021–December 2021

In Phase 3, National Counterparts were expected to expand their data collection
networks by adding at least one National Collaborator. Despite the severe pandemic
situation in the region, the National Counterparts of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Viet Nam
found a new cooperating institution. Meanwhile, the National Counterparts in Thailand
and the Philippines found two cooperating institutions as they started Phase 2. The
National Counterpart in the Kyrgyz Republic collected 10 pieces of research informationon their own as Phase 1 country; however, they also identified their potential National
Collaborators for the coming phase to facilitate the next step of data collection.
The research data collected in FY 2021 totalled 320, and after the examination in IRCI,
the collected data were uploaded to the IRCI Research Database in March 2022 (Table
8).
National Workshop
In FY 2021, National Workshops were held in Malaysia, Viet Nam, and the Kyrgyz
Republic, all in November 2021. Similar to FY 2020, the workshops were held in a hybrid
style considering the COVID-19 pandemic.
The purpose of the workshops in Malaysia and Viet Nam in this fiscal year was mainly toshare information on the latest ICH research, similar to FY 2020. However, since the
National Counterparts in these countries were in Phase 3, the final phase of datacollection, a summary of 3-year activities was also shared at the workshop. In contrast,in the Kyrgyz Republic, the National Workshop was served for pre-coordination between
the National Counterpart and the potential National Collaborators and training forcollecting research data. The details of the workshop are as follows:

Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021 | 19

Table 8: List of National Counterparts/National Collaborators and the number of thesubmitted data in FY 2021
National Counterpart &Submitted
CountryPhase
Data
National Collaborators

Indonesia

Malaysia

Viet Nam

The
Philippines

ThailandThe Kyrgyz
Republic
TOTAL

3

3

3

2

2

1

Faculty of Cultural Science, Department ofArchaeology, Gadjah Mada University (UGM)[Ms Mahirta]

10

Hasanuddin Universtiy

20

Balai Pelestrani Nilai Budaya (BPNB)

20

Jambi University

20

University of Malaya (UM)[Mr Hanafi Hussin]

10

University Malaya Sarawak (UNIMAS)

20

University Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM)

20

University of Malaysia, Kelantan (UMK)20

Vietnam National Institute for Culture and Arts Studies(VICAS)[Ms Vu Dieu Trung and Ms Pham Lan Oanh]

10

Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences

20

Hanoi University of Culture

20

Association of Vietnamese Folklorists

20

College of Social Sciences and Philosophy, University of
the Philippines-Diliman (UP)[Mr Carlos P. Tatel, Jr.]

10

Folklore Studies Program, University of
the Philippines

20

Aliguyon-UP Folklorists

20

Faculty of Fine Arts, Srinakharinwirot University (SWU)[Mr Kasidesh Nerngchamnong]

10

Mahidol University

20

Bansomdejchaopraya Rajabhat University

20

Aigine Cultural Research Center (Aigine CRC)
[Ms Aiza Abdirahmanova]

10320

20 | Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021

National Workshop in the Kyrgyz Republic
Venue: Aigine Cultural Research Center (online/in-person hybrid)
Date: 25 November 2021
Participants: National Counterpart and their potential National Collaborators for FY 2022, and
IRCI

Purpose:-Training and exercise concerning data collection for potential National
Collaborators to carry out intensive research data collection activities in FY 2022
Content:- Introducing the IRCI’s research activities, including the ‘Sustainable Research Data
Collection’ project and the IRCI Research Database- Explaining the responsibilities and expectations for the National Collaborators by
the Aigine Cultural Research Center-

Practical exercise: review and analyse examples of papers; drafting annotations
and their analysis
Discussion on prospective cooperation between the Aigine Cultural ResearchCenter and potential National Collaborators

National Workshop in Malaysia
Venue: University of Malaya (online/in-person hybrid)
Date: 29 November 2021
Participants: National Counterpart, National Collaborators, young researchers including
students, and IRCI

Purpose:- Information sharing on the current ICH research in Malaysia- Awareness-raising of the importance of the ICH safeguarding and research foryoung researchers
Content:-

Introducing IRCI’s research activities, including the ‘Sustainable Research Data
Collection’ project and the IRCI Research Database-

Presentations on awareness of ICH and its safeguarding, as well as the need fordata collection by National Collaborators
Presentation on their experiences in ICH research by young researchers
In-depth discussion of the gathered research information in FY 2021 among
National Counterparts and National Collaborators

Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021 | 21

National Workshop in Viet Nam
Venue: Vietnam National Institute for Culture and Arts Studies (VICAS) (online/in-person
hybrid)Date: 30 November 2021
Participants: National Counterpart, National Collaborators, Vietnamese researchers, and IRCI

Purpose:-Information sharing on the current ICH research in Viet Nam among Vietnamese
researchers
Content:-

Introducing IRCI’s research activities, including the ‘Sustainable Research Data
Collection’ project-

Reporting the summary of data collection activity in FY 2019–2021 by VICAS
Presentations on the latest ICH research in Viet Nam by Vietnamese researchers

Regional Workshop
Venue: online
Date: 21 January 2022
Participants: National Counterparts, National Collaborators, and IRCIThe Regional Workshop was held on 21 January 2022 as a summary of the 3-year datacollection. The purpose of this meeting was to share the outcomes of data collection
activities, discuss possible ways to utilise the collected data for ICH safeguarding, andenhance further research activities involving inter-institutional cooperation. Since thecurrent project that has been implemented for 3 years was to be completed in March
2022, the intention of the workshop was to summarise and review the experiences indata collection activities by the National Counterparts in those 3 years to further
develop a sustainable mechanism of research data collection.
It was expected that the current challenges in data collection, as well as possible
solutions, would be recognised through discussion. In addition, issues are related to the
future of research data collection, such as how to ensure the sustainability of researchdata collection after completing the 3-year collaboration with IRCI and how the IRCI
Research Database as a repository of research information could be further optimised
to support research activities in the Asia-Pacific region.
The summary of the Regional Workshop is provided in the next section.

22 | Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021

Regional Workshop (21 January 2022)
The Workshop Structure
The workshop was divided into two sessions: presentation and discussion. In Session 1,
the national counterparts presented the outcomes of research data collection activities,
focusing on the following points:
 What kind of information was not gathered? (e.g. research focus, academic
fields, ICH genres, and methodological approaches) Do the results reflect the trend of ICH research in your country?
 What are the challenges and findings during the data collection?
While the National Counterparts in Phases 1 and 2 gave a presentation concerning datacollection in FY 2021, the National Counterparts in Phase 3 presented a summary of the
3-year data collection activities.
For a detailed report summarising the data collection activities in Indonesia, Malaysia,
and Viet Nam that has completed the 3-year data collection, please see Chapter 2 (DataCollection Summary by National Counterparts) of this volume.
Summary of the Discussion
After the presentation session, IRCI facilitated a discussion session. Participants
discussed diverse topics related to data collection activities and ICH research, focusing
on the following points:
1. Review of the current data collection mechanism
2. Benefits of collecting research information on ICH safeguarding for eachstakeholder
3. Utilisation of the collected research information
4. Recommendations for further project development, including themanagement of the IRCI Research Database
The following sections are the summary of the inputs gathered from the participants.

Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021 | 23

Introductory discussion of the current state of research on ICH and its safeguarding ineach country
Before starting the discussion on the above topics, IRCI asked participants about thecurrent situation of ICH research, particularly how the safeguarding of ICH has beenaddressed.
Current research trends in the ICH field in participating countries are explained asfollows:Currently, the government in Malaysia is encouraging documentation of
ICH by providing grants as part of the promotion of Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) set forth by UNESCO. Publication in this regard
may increase from the next year.

Research papers written by non-academic researchers have been publishedin the Kyrgyz Republic. This kind of information is also important forsafeguarding against ICH. Another research trend in the Kyrgyz Republic isresearch on ethnic minorities.

In addition, some issues regarding current ICH research were mentioned by theparticipants. For example, one participant mentioned an issue related to language.
Currently, language tends to be treated as a sub-category of ‘Literature’ or ‘Oral
Traditions’. However, language itself should be considered a research category.
Another issue raised in the discussion is the interface between tangible and intangible
cultural heritage. One participant commented that, because these two heritages are
liked closely, the division between tangible and intangible is untenable and should bequestioned.
As a possibility in ICH research in the future, the importance of documentation foryounger generations was mentioned by a participant.
Review of the current data collection mechanism
To assess the effectiveness and usefulness of the current data collection mechanism,
IRCI asked participants if any points could be improved in the future. Consequently, IRCI
has received relatively positive responses that the current data-collection mechanism iseffective. Some points noted by the participants were as follows:

24 | Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021



We can choose multiple ICH genres and research focuses on one research
datum, and I find this reasonable.
Collected research information is not limited to academic papers, and thismakes local researchers not left behind.

Suggestions to the current categorisation of ICH genres were as follows: ICH genres designated for the project should be reviewed. For example, theworldview may be the same as that of a ritual. Therefore, we need to develop
proper guidelines for ICH genres.
 Regarding ICH genres, performances such as music, there are multiple targets.
Multiple tagging can be performed for overlapping genres. An epic, forexample, is a performance, an oral tradition; if written, it is also literature.
An opinion related to the COVID-19 pandemic was also raised: The data mechanism is adequate. However, the current problem with the
pandemic is mobility and access to resources, especially because many
materials have not been digitalised.
Benefits of collecting research information on ICH safeguarding for each stakeholder
In this question, IRCI asked the participants if the project actually benefited them, andif so, in what ways. In the discussion, IRCI received diverse answers as follows: The collected data helped disseminate the research works (since they were
published in the IRCI Research Database).


The project is a win-win situation for participants and stakeholders.
Communities that store and protect heritage can be learnt from researchers.
Policymakers can learn about the current situation (by understanding thecurrent situation of ICH studies), and the government can help the private
sector from a financial perspective.

I think hearing what everyone is doing is inspiring. I certainly gained new ideas
on how to do things and new ways of looking at them. Workshops similar tothis are important because, sometimes when you are working alone, you do
not realise that there are other ways of doing things and other points of view.



These data are also a rich source for researchers and a jumping-off point for
future research. This tells us what has been studied and directs us of where
and how to move the study forward. It also informs us which studies we need

Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021 | 25

to return to communities. With this database, we will also learn what has not
yet been done.


Our benefit lies in a better understanding of the current situation in theacademic field. In addition, strong bridge-making occurs in different fields.

Utilisation of the collected research information
IRCI also asked how the collected data could be utilised and for what purpose the IRCI
Research Database can be used.


Academic data are shared widely to examine the current gap and for future
research; therefore, sharing information on academic papers is very useful.

The database can be utilised by different stakeholders to enhance basic
knowledge and to determine what ICH belongs to what country, for example,
from both academic and non-academic perspectives.

Open access database is a good source for the public.

This also opens up the possibility of more collaborative research. If, forexample, I see someone in the database who conducted a study on a topic, I
can access their work and contact them for possible collaborations.



The collected research information can be used for educational purposes, suchas raising awareness among communities.



Data collection can play a role in bringing back outcomes to the communityand briefing policymakers on how to help ICH.

Recommendations for further project development, including management of the IRCI
Research Database
At the end of the workshop, IRCI gathered recommendations to further elaborate on
the data collection activities in the future and received the following suggestions:It will be important to have regular meetings, conversations, symposia, andconferences because new papers, studies, interests, and strategies will be
produced, which can eventually be added to the database.



We recommend being more flexible with data entry sheets and collected data;
for example, collecting audio-visual materials would be good.

26 | Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021



We hope for additional international sharing, not just with countries currently
participating in the project.

Research data such as films should also be target materials to be collected.

In terms of museology, free access to research data should be ensured.

In the course of the discussion, collecting audio-visual materials was suggested. It wasalso noted that audio-visual materials are sometimes made for promotional purposes,
which tend to be over-exaggerated or over-edited, rather than providing in-depth
recordings of ICH. In response to this, one possible criterion proposed was that theaudio-visual materials to be collected for the purpose of the IRCI Research Databaseshould be those obtained in a research context or as part of research. Such materials
should include information such as the producer, shooting period/location, purpose,and background. This is one point that should be considered in the future.
In this topic, IRCI also asked the National Counterparts in Phase 3 if they would continue
data collection on their own because it was one of the project intentions that eachresearch institution would continue data collection autonomously even after theirproject termination. Consequently, IRCI received positive answers indicating that theywould continue data collection. One participant expressed his motivation for the next
few years to create a repository of ICH data, including non-academic data in his country.
Another participant mentioned that her institution was planning to encourage national
and international data collection and information sharing and attempt to bring out thecollected data.
Other inputs on ICH research in general
During the discussion, opinions on current ICH research, in general, were also gathered.
 A bottom-up approach is necessary. Local communities are fighting for ICH
safeguarding in various ways.
 We need to encourage the combination of knowledge and practices of ICH
safeguarding, as well as performance.


Before collecting materials, the areas that need to be prioritised should beconsidered through the documentation of ICH.

Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021 | 27

Participants of the Regional Workshop on the ‘Sustainable
Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the AsiaPacific Region’ held on 21 January 2022

28 | Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021

OVERALL DATA ANALYSISAs a summary of the 3 years of research data collection, information collected by the
National Counterparts was analysed. The purpose of the analysis is to grasp the trendsof the collected data, for example, which research area is more or less covered andwhich areas should be further researched.
The analysis covers 542 pieces of research information collected in seven countries,
namely, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Philippines,
and Viet Nam between FY 2019 and FY 2021.
The number of the collected data by country is shown in Table 9.
The analysed categories were ICH genre, research focus, language, publication category,and publication year.
Table 9: List of the participating countries and the number of the collected
research information
Country
Total
PeriodIndonesia

130

FY 2019–2021

Viet Nam

130

FY 2019–2021

Malaysia

122

FY 2019–2021

Thailand80

FY 2019–2021

The Philippines

60

FY 2020–2021

Myanmar10

FY 2019

The Kyrgyz Republic10

FY 2021

ICH Genre
ResultMost collected:
1. Performing arts
2. Social practices
3. Rituals

Least collected:
1. Sports/Games
2. Food culture
3. Traditional medicine

Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021 | 29

Data Description
In the 2003 Convention, five ICH domains were defined as follows: oral traditions andexpressions, including language as a vehicle of intangible cultural heritage, performing
arts, social practices, rituals, and festive events; knowledge and practices concerning
nature and the universe; and traditional craftsmanship.
However, these domains are broadly defined, and to gain a more specific picture of thecollected data, IRCI set a more detailed categorisation as follows:--

Oral tradition
Performing arts:
Music
Dance
Drama
Social practices
Rituals
Festive events
Ecological knowledge and practiceWorldview
Traditional craftsmanshipSports/Games
Food culture
Traditional medicine
ICH in general
OthersIn this category, multiple-choice was possible.
In FY 2019 and 2020, the ICH genres of performing arts, music, dance, and drama wereseparated. However, from the viewpoint that music, dance, and drama are one of theexpression forms of performing arts, IRCI decided to include these domains in theperforming arts; that is, IRCI categorised these as performing arts: music; performing
arts: dance; and performing arts: drama. In this analysis, all of these categories were
calculated as ‘performing arts’.
In FY 2019 and FY 2020, there was only the category of ‘sports’, and from FY 2021, IRCI
recategorised it as sports/games.

30 | Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021

230

250
200
150

178

155

107

100
50
0

78

92
65

58

56

32
2

11

26

Figure 4: ICH genres of research data collected in FY 2019–2021

Findings
The graph shows that the most collected ICH genre is performing arts, and the numberof data was 230 (Figure 4). Since the performing arts include various forms of
performance, such as dance, music, opera, and theatre, it is assumed that researchhandling this genre is conducted more than other ICH genres. The second collected ICH
genre was social practices, the number of collected data was 178, and the third place
was followed by rituals.
In contrast, the least collected research information was related to sports and games,
and only two studies were collected. One of these pieces of information was a journal
article collected in the Philippines on the national sport arnis, a form of martial arts, andthe study examines its historical meanings and the values that may be accorded to it in
the future.
The reason for the lack of research on sports and games may be that these categories
are not well recognised as intangible cultural heritage in the first place, and only alimited number of studies have been conducted. However, UNESCO is stating theimportance of traditional sports and games as ‘Safeguarding and promoting TraditionalSports and Games (TSG) as sports practices and intangible cultural heritage is a key
challenge for the future development of sport and societies. TSG also enhance

Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021 | 31

intercultural dialogue and peace, reinforce youth empowerment, and promote ethicalsports practices’.3
To enhance the safeguarding of this ICH category, it may be necessary to promoteresearch in this genre.

Research Focus
ResultMost collected:
1. Documentation
2. Identification
3. Transmission

Least collected:
1. Disaster prevention
2. Capacity building
3. Training

Data Description
In the project, the focus of research in relation to ICH safeguarding is divided into 14
categories and ‘others’.
-

Identification
Policymaking
Documentation
Promotion
Transmission
Revitalisation
Training
Definition
Education
Awareness raising
Capacity building
Intangible-tangible interface
Heritage management
Disaster prevention
OthersUNESCO, Traditional Sports and Games https://en.unesco.org/themes/sport-and-antidoping/traditional-sports-and-games (Referred: 28 February 2022)
3

32 | Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021

Among these, ‘heritage management’ and ‘disaster prevention’ were added to FY 2021.
In this category, multiple choices were made.

350

314

300
250

204

200
150
100
50

102
44

38

72

42
7

24

101

79
7

24

0

28

4

Figure 5: Collected research focus in FY 2019–2021

Findings
Figure 5 shows that the research focus of the most collected data was documentation,and this may imply that documentation is regarded as crucial in ICH research. This isunderstandable because documentation of ICH elements plays an important role intransmitting it to next generations, or in case the ICH element is endangered, thedocumented data are essential to ‘preserve’ the ICH. The second most collected
research focus was identification, followed by transmission.
However, only a limited amount of research has focused on training, capacity building,and disaster prevention. The lack of data in the area of training may be due to the lackof training itself, and even if training takes place, they are rarely reported or
documented as publications. Concerning disaster prevention, this focus was added to
FY 2021 as a new category, which may be the reason for the low number of collections.
However, it is expected that this area will be more researched because of the current
rapid global climate change and its impact on ICH.

Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021 | 33

Language
Russian1%
Kinaray-a1%
Kyrgyz2%
Filipino5%

Chinese

Tajik

Uzbek
English
27%

Malay
10%

Vietnamese
22%

Thai
14%
Indonesian18%

Figure 6: Ratio of English and other languages of the collected data in FY 2019–2021

Findings
Figure 6 shows the ratio of languages used in the collected research information.
As a result, around a quarter of the collected research information was written in English,
and about three-quarters was written in languages in the Asia-Pacific region.
In some countries, research information is written in multiple languages. For example,
research information submitted from the Philippines was written in local languages,
such as Kinaray-a, Filipino, and English. In the case of the Kyrgyz Republic, four languages(i.e. Kyrgyz, Russian, Uzbek, and Tajik) are used in a single publication.
The ratio of research information written in English varied per country. For example,
English is one of the official languages of the Philippines; therefore, many research
papers written in English exist in the country. Meanwhile, it was notable that, in Thailand,
all submitted information was written in Thai.

34 | Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021

Below is the percentage of information collected from each country written in English.
1. Myanmar: 100%
2. The Philippines: 65%
3. Malaysia: 52,4%

4.
5.
6.
7.

Indonesia: 22,3%
Viet Nam: 11.5%
The Kyrgyz Republic: 3%
Thailand: 0%

Publication Category
ResultMost collected:
1. Journal/Journal article
2. Book
3. Thesis

Least collected:
1. Website
2. Book section
3. Report

Data Description
The publication category is divided into eight categories and ‘others’:-Book
Book section (added in FY 2021)
ReportWebsite (added in FY 2021)
Article (FY 2019-2020)
JournalJournal article (added in FY 2021)
ThesisProceedings (added in FY 2021)
OthersIn FY 2021, IRCI reviewed the publication category, and as a result, some categories,
including book sections, websites, journal articles, and proceedings, were added.
In this analysis, the category of ‘Article’ and ‘Journal’ are combined and calculated into
‘Journal/Journal article’.

Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021 | 35

450

404

400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0

81
4

6

0

18

15

15

Figure 7: Collected publication category in FY 2019–2021

Findings
The graph shows that the most collected publication category was a journal or journal
articles, and the total amount of collected data was significant (Figure 7). In someuniversities, periodic journals are published on their own, which may be the reason forthe substantial number of journals or journal articles.
The second most collected publication category is books, and the third place is theses,
but the number is not as prominent as journals or journal articles. It is assumed that a
number of theses and dissertations are unpublished and buried despite their researchvalue. Therefore, it will be necessary to consider this publication category in the future.
The fourth place is proceedings, and most proceedings submitted in the project, were
unpublished. However, a number of conferences on ICH are being held in many
countries nowadays, and such publications actually help grasp the latest trends in ICH
research and its safeguarding in each country and region.
On the other hand, the least collected publication categories were book section, report,
and website. Reports are less visible due to the limited distribution; however, it would
also be an important category, as reports by research institutions, NGOs, orgovernments would more directly address specific activities related to ICH safeguarding.

36 | Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021

Year of Publication
Data Description
This graph shows when the research materials such as articles were published. If theitem was not published, the period when the research articles were written wasrecorded.
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

1999

1998

1993

1990

1989

0

Figure 8: Publication year of the collected data in FY 2019–2021

Findings
As shown in the graph (Figure 8), as the year of publication became more recent, theamount of collected data also increased.
The oldest research item collected over 3 years was published in 1989 and was from
Malaysia. The study was titled ‘Bases of Traditional Authority among the Orang Asli of
Peninsular Malaysia” and was published in the form of a journal article. According to thesubmitted abstract, its aim is to examine some basic factors connected with authority
and leadership in traditional Orang Asli society.
Malaysia ratified the 2003 Convention in 2013; however, this research article waspublished prior to ratification. In other countries, information on research that was
conducted before the ratification of the 2003 Convention was submitted as well, but theamount was quite low. This may imply that ratification of the 2003 Convention
contributes to promoting ICH research in each country.

Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021 | 37

CONCLUSION
Findings and Challenges in the Project
A number of findings and challenges were identified throughout the implementation of
the project. One of the challenges is the current cooperative mechanism. Even though
cooperation was established between IRCI and research institution itself, cooperation
was not continued with one institution due to personnel changes. In addition, theamount of ICH research information accumulated in each research institution remains
limited, and this sometimes makes the continuation of the collaboration between the
National Counterpart and its collaborators difficult.
It was also found that, in some countries, research information related to ICH is not welldigitalised, and online accessible research information remains restricted. Moreover,there are several unpublished materials, such as proceedings and theses, that can be an
important resource for ICH studies.
There are also challenges in the current data collection methodology. For instance, as
mentioned in the discussion at the Regional Workshop, the current categorisation of the
ICH genre given in data entry sheets is not clear enough. Therefore, it would benecessary to review and recategorise the sheets and develop proper guidelines.
The copyright issue was also raised by the project participants. To publish the research
information in the IRCI Research Database, it is necessary to obtain permission from theauthors, publishers, or other parties who possess the right of publication. However,some National Counterparts mentioned that it took too much time to obtain permission,
which sometimes caused delays in data collection in some countries.
In addition, project collaborators raised a suggestion on the target materials to becollected in the project. In the current project, IRCI collects various written materials,
such as research articles or books. However, some collaborators consider it necessary
to broaden the target data to audio-visual materials. These materials are certainly oneof the informative sources, but they need to be carefully considered whether they canbe a target of a collection because IRCI’s target is those that reflect its academic value.
If audio-visual materials could be a target of data collection, careful consideration should
be given to the criteria to be applied in collecting such materials.
There were also some positive results. Through discussions with the project participants,
it was found that meetings/workshops held in the course of the project helped the

38 | Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021

participants understand the current state of ICH research in their country and othercountries in the region and sometimes encouraged bridge-making in different fields.
The benefits of the IRCI Research Database have also been highlighted by collaborators.
For example, referring to research by other researchers in the database can open thepossibility for collaborative research. Because the collected research information is open
to the public, the database can be an important platform that brings back the researchoutcomes to the community. In addition, one collaborator stated that the database
could be utilised not only for academic use but also for non-academic use. For example,
the database can be used to raise awareness among communities and for briefing
policymakers on how to safeguard ICH.
Concerning the challenges in the project, such as categorisation of the ICH genre,target research data of collection and cooperation mechanisms need to be reviewed
and developed for the next step of the project.
Prospects
From FY 2022, the regional focus of the project will move to Central Asia and Small Island
Developing States (SIDS) within the Aisa-Pacific region. Although some modifications
may be applied to the current data collection methodology and cooperation mechanism,
the fundamental direction, including data collection network building, appears to be
applicable to Central Asian countries. However, for SIDS, an alternative methodology
and cooperation mechanism may be necessary because of the limited number of
research institutions and human resources in each country, as well as the nature of ICHrelated research undertaken in these countries.
Concerning the National Counterparts that had completed the 3-year data collection inthis project, it is hoped that they will continue to collect ICH research information on
their own and possibly develop their own data collection mechanism that is effective intheir country.
Since the Asia-Pacific is a vast region, with 42 countries that ratified the 2003 Convention,
the sub-regions to be targeted in the project have to be shifted every few years. It is
expected that data collection will be conducted again in Southeast Asia, and by then,more ICH research will be conducted to update the state of ICH research. As noted in
the project, the number of research programmes that directly address the safeguarding

Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021 | 39

of ICH will increase in the coming years. Such developments associated with the further
promotion of the 2003 Convention should be studied as well.
Finally, research data collection is a never-ending process provided research on ICH
continues. IRCI hopes that this ‘Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH
Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region’ project contributed to promoting ICH researchand its safeguarding in the region while providing opportunities for each country toreview the current situation of research as a critical measure for safeguarding ICH.

40 | Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021

2

Data Collec�on
Summary byNa�onal Counterparts

FINAL REPORT: INDONESIA
MahirtaHead, Undergraduate Study Program in Archaeology, Gadjah Mada University

A. Data Collection Process
Generally, the process of data collection for the IRCI Research Database that we joinedin 2019 is as follows. Initially, we peruse more research results and/or articles than IRCI
suggests, that is, 30 articles in the first data collection phase, 101 published articles inthe second phase of data collection, and 100 articles in Phase 3. Our goal is to collectdata from as many fields of study as possible and from a wide variety of ICH genres andresearch focuses. Selections were then made from among the collected articles to reachthe target number of abstracts IRCI requires for upload based on the following:a. The depth of information in the research and area coverage of the research (notonly focusing on Java Island but also Indonesia as a whole)b. We favour articles that are published in open-access journals and are available
online.
c. When the research genre representative is not available in open-access journals
throughout the year, we then choose articles from non-open-access journals,
and we seek permission from the journal publisher(s) and/or author(s).
This strategy was applied to ensure that the published abstracts we upload to the IRCI
Research Database represent research in the ICH genres from different fields of study inIndonesia.
In the first phase of the project, held in 2019, we did not yet have a national collaborator.
Our team consists of 3 people who collected research data through a library and an
online database such as open-source journal websites. In this phase, we uploaded 10
pieces of research data. Most of them were collected from journals published by
Universitas Gadjah Mada, and some others were collected from open-source journals
published by other universities, including the Institute of Art Indonesia.
In the second phase of data collection, in 2020, we asked the archaeology departmentof Universitas Hasanuddin and Balai Pelestarian Nilai Budaya (Office of Cultural Value
Preservation) Yogyakarta to be our collaborators. The purpose was to involve otherSustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021 | 43

national institutions as our collaborators to ensure that we can cover a variety of ICH
research genres from the vast areas comprising the Indonesian region. It is hoped that
our Universitas Hasanuddin counterpart will have more data on the ICH research ineastern Indonesia, while BPNB Yogyakarta, which focuses on the cultural value, wastargeted to find ICH research related to the Javanese culture as well as other ethnicities
in Indonesia. The 3 institutions agreed to upload published abstracts and articles forwhich copyright permission has been obtained from the journals or their editorial teamin the case of non-open-access journals.
In the third phase of data collection, in 2021, we cooperated with the archaeology
department of Universitas Hasanuddin, Balai Pelestarian Nilai Budaya (Office of Cultural
Value Preservation) Yogyakarta, and the archaeology study program of Universitas
Jambi. The purpose was to add Universitas Jambi to our collaborators because in theprevious data collection phase, we lacked data from Sumatera. Since Universitas Jambi
is located on Sumatera Island, we hope that more ICH research data can be collected.
B. Challenges and Findings
In Phase 1, we did not encounter significant challenges during the data collection
process because the number of target articles was low, at only 10. Moreover, almost all
the faculties of Universitas Gadjah Mada have open-access journals, which allowed us
to browse ICH genres from different fields of study. Of course, some faculties andprograms have more ICH research, considering that the ICH is their main field subject;these include anthropology, Javanese studies, and the archaeology study program tosome extent. We emphasised the collection of articles that were published in our
university’s (Universitas Gadjah Mada) open-access journals, as well as 1 article
published in the journal Institute Seni Indonesia, the author of which is affiliated with
Universitas Gadjah Mada. Initially, we collected 30 articles published between 1994 and2019 to represent different varieties of ICH research in open-access journals and openaccess proceedings by Universitas Gadjah Mada, but we only uploaded 10 articles, as
required. Since only 10 articles were required, and we only perused articles published in
Universitas Gadjah Mada journals, these data may only be valid as an overview of thevariety of research on ICH at Universitas Gadjah Mada.
In Phase 2, we collaborated with two other national institutions (Universitas Hasanuddin
and BPNB Yogyakarta). A total of 101 articles were collected by 3 institutions forincreased reliability in the context of statistical analysis. The UGM team collected 28
research abstracts and selected 26 abstracts to upload, the Universitas Hasanuddin

44 | Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021

team collected 28 research abstracts and uploaded 16 abstracts, and the BPNB teamcollected 22 research abstracts and selected 8 abstracts to upload. Social practice is themost popular ICH research genre among researchers, followed by ritual practice. It isinteresting to note that traditional craftmanship, as in the 2019 project, appears to have
only attracted a few researchers, accounting for only 7 research results among our 101
ICH research results.
Given that IRCI only requires us to target 50 abstracts, we tried to evenly distribute thenumber of articles that we have to upload between 3 institutions to ensure that the area
covered by the research encompasses Indonesia as a whole. However, since some BPNB
research has not been published, and the authors of the articles published in non-openaccess journals have not given permission for the use of their work, the Universitas
Gadjah Mada team must collect more articles to reach the target number of abstracts.
Authors’ responses to requests for permission to use their articles published in nonopen-access journals are not always easily obtained before the due date.
Below is the ICH genre distribution among the abstracts uploaded to the IRCI Research
Database from the 2019 to 2021 data collection period.

ICH Genres Collected for the IRCI Project, Phase 1 (2019)
Traditional healing practice
Traditional architecture
Cultural landscape
Behavior
Ritual and festive events
Local wisdomSocial practiceOral tradition
Local knowledge
Traditional craftsmanship
0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Figure 1 Distribution of ICH genres in research published in Indonesia in UGM journals
uploaded to the IRCI Research Database in Phase 1.

Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021 | 45

Academic Fields of Study Collected for the IRCI Project,
Phase 1 (2019)
Medicine
Architecture
Ethnoecology
Ecology
Psychology
Javanese study
Ethnomusicology
Tourism
Cultural studies
Anthropology
0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

Figure 2 Distribution of academic fields of study in Indonesian ICH research published in
the UGM journal and uploaded to the IRCI Research Database in Phase 1.

Since the distribution graphs were compiled based on only 10 articles, I doubt that the
distribution represents the actual condition of ICH research in Indonesia as a whole in2015–2018. However, the academic fields of anthropology and Javanese studies may
represent the fields in which the most ICH research was conducted in 2015–2018 at
Universitas Gadjah Mada.

Article Languages Collected for the IRCI Project,
Phase 1 (2019)English30%

Indonesian70%

Figure 3 Distribution of languages used in the ICH published research uploaded to the IRCI
Research Database in Phase 1.

46 | Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021

ICH Genre collected for IRCI Project, Phase 2 (2020)
Sport
Music
Dance
Characters of traditional community
Local wisdom
Festive event
Social practice
Traditional language
Traditional medicine
Ecological knowledge and practices
RitualOral tradition
Performing arts
Local knowledge
Traditional craftsmanship
0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Figure 4 Distribution of ICH genres in published research in Indonesia among the 101
published articles collected during Phase 2 of the project.

Figure 4 shows that the social practices and ritual genres are Indonesian researchers’
favourite ICH research genres. The least favoured genres appear to be music, dance,
character of traditional community, traditional language, and traditional craftmanship.
Regarding the academic fields of study, most ICH research is classified as cultural studies,though a few ICH studies were conducted in different academic fields (see Figure 5
below). The most popular type of ICH research is cultural studies. Within this group, ICH
research is varied, including history, archaeology, and anthropology.

Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021 | 47

Academic Fields of Study Collected for the IRCI Project,
Phase 2 (2020)
Performing arts
Social science
Pharmacology
Tourism
Geology
Food science and technology
Biology
Literature
Communication
Law
Cultural studies
Conservation
Ethnobotany
Public policy
Forestry
Linguistic
Medicine
Architecture
0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Figure 5 Distribution of ICH fields of study among a total of 101 published articles
collected during Phase 2 of the project.

Article Languages Collected for the IRCI Project,
Phase 2 (2020)
English21%

Indonesian79%

Figure 6 Pie diagram of the language distribution of the ICH research collected during
Phase 2 of the project.

48 | Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021

In Phase 3, we cooperated with three other national institutions, all of which aregovernments institutions, namely Universitas Hasanuddin, Universitas Jambi, and BPNB
Yogyakarta. It is hoped that with more institutions involved in this project, a wider
variety of data will be found, thus widening the research area covered. Universitas Jambi
on Sumatera Island is responsible for finding more ICH research data on Sumatera Island.
Below is the distribution of ICH genres among the 70 articles uploaded to the IRCI
Research Database.

ICH Genres Collected for the IRCI Project, Phase 3 (2021)
ICH in general
Local tradition
Cultural heritage landscapeFestive events
Traditional medicine
Food culture
Rituals
Ecological knowledges and practices
Traditional craftsmanship
Performing arts: drama
Performing arts: music
Performing arts: dance
Performing arts
Social practiceLocal wisdom
Oral tradition
0

5

10

15

20

25

Figure 7 Distribution of ICH genres in research published in Indonesia among 70 publishedarticles uploaded to the IRCI Research Database in Phase 3.

Again, based on our Phase 3 data collection, we found that social practices and rituals
are the favourite genres. If we examine the distribution of academic fields of study,
cultural studies is the most popular, followed by traditional medicine and linguistics. ICH
research is also conducted in other academic fields in Indonesia, but these only number
1 each. The increase in the volume of published research in the ICH genre traditional
medicine is interesting, but the reason underlying this trend has not yet been
investigated.

Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021 | 49

Academic Fields of Study Collected for the IRCI Project,
Phase 3 (2021)
Religious studies
Tourism
Sociology
Conservation
Humanities
Literature
Heritage Management
Education
Performing arts
Musicology
Home economic
Ethnography
Linguistic
Cultural studies
Ontology
Socio-culture
Planning
Philosophy

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Figure 8 Distribution of ICH fields of study among a total of 70 published articles uploaded
to the IRCI Research Database in Phase 3.

Article Languages Collected for the IRCI Project,
Phase 3 (2021)
English14%

Indonesian86%

Figure 9 Pie diagram of languages used by Indonesian ICH researchers in publications
uploaded to the IRCI Research Database in Phase 3.

50 | Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021

C. Summary of the Data Collected in Phases 1 to 3
Phase 1
Information gathered in Phase 1 is listed below.
a. ICH genre
1) Social practice2) Rituals
3) Festive events
4) Knowledge of nature
5) Oral tradition
6) Local knowledge
7) Local wisdom
8) Traditional architecture9) Cultural landscape10) Traditional medicine
11) Traditional craftsmanshipb. Research focus
1) Documentation
2) Heritage salvaging and management
3) Ecological resource management
4) Policy makingc. Academic field
1) Anthropology
2) Javanese studies
3) Ethnoecology
4) Ecology5) Ethnomusicology6) Tourism7) Cultural studies
8) Psychology
9) Medicine
10) Architecture

Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021 | 51

Information not gathered in Phase 1 is listed below.
a. ICH genre
1) Sports/games
2) Food culture
b. Research focus
1) Promotion
2) Revitalisation
3) Training and education
4) Disaster prevention
Phase 2
Information gathered in Phase 2 is listed below.
a. ICH genre
1) Performing arts (music, dance)
2) Characters of traditional community
3) Local wisdom and knowledge
4) Social practice5) Traditional language
6) Traditional medicine
7) Ecological knowledge and practice8) Rituals
9) Oral tradition
10) Traditional craftsmanship
11) Food culture
b. Research focus
1) Identification
2) Documentation
3) Revitalisation
4) Policy making
5) Education
6) Awareness raising
7) Philosophy review

52 | Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021

8) Conservation
9) Intellectual property law on traditional medicine
10) Heritage management
11) Disaster prevention (natural and conflict)12) Current knowledge
13) Development possibility14) Scientific review and verification
15) Children’s play as agrarian culture16) Women’s roles17) Culture creation
18) Traditional function
19) Local tradition and societyc. Academic field
1) Performing arts
2) Social science3) Pharmacology4) Tourism
5) Geology
6) Food science and technology
7) Biology
8) Literature
9) Heritage law10) Communication
11) Cultural studies12) Conservation
13) Forestry
14) Linguistic
Information not gathered in Phase 2 is listed below.
a. ICH genre
1) Sports/games
b. Research focus
1) Promotion
2) Training and capacity building

Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021 | 53

Phase 3
Information gathered in Phase 3 is listed below.
a. ICH genre
1) Performing arts (music, dance, drama)2) Local wisdom
3) Social practice4) Traditional medicine
5) Ecological knowledge and practice6) Rituals
7) Oral tradition
8) Traditional craftsmanship
9) Local knowledge10) Food culture11) Festive events
12) Cultural heritage landscape13) Local tradition
b. Research focus
1) Identification
2) Documentation
3) Awareness raising
4) Education
5) Revitalisation
6) Heritage management
7) Philosophy review
8) Local tradition and society9) Definition
10) Transmission11) Intangible–tangible interface
12) Custom implementationc. Academic field
1) Performing arts
2) Musicology3) Cultural studies

54 | Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021

4) Linguistic
5) Philosophy
6) Planning7) Socio-culture8) Ontology
9) Education
10) Heritage management
11) Literature12) Humanities
13) Sociology
14) Conservation
15) Tourism
Information not gathered in Phase 3 is listed below.
a. ICH genre
1) Sports/games
b. Research focus
1) Promotion
2) Training, education, and capacity building3) Revitalisation
4) Policy making
D. Representation of ICH research
If we combine all the Indonesian ICH research that we have collected, the variety ofgenres among the results may reflect the ICH research genre trends in Indonesia. ManyICH researchers in Indonesia are not limited to research in the cultural sciences orhumanities faculties, as their work also extends to other faculties, thus contributing to
the rich variety of genres that our data collection uncovered from Phases 1 to 3. Takefor example the researchers working in the pharmacy, biology, and law faculties; they
all contribute to ICH research, though their research volume is not high. We also foundthat research in some genres is mostly conducted by researchers in the cultural sciences
or at a special cultural institution such as BPNB. They prefer to do research on social
practices and rituals.

Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021 | 55

In Phases 1–3 of data collection, we did not find that any of the research conductedfocused on sports/games, and in Phases 1 and 2, we did not collect research on
traditional food. In the past, this research focus was quite popular, but documentation
was limited, and in cases where traditional food was served on the occasion of certain
rituals, the research focused on the symbols of the food. Indonesia has a rich variety of
traditional food that should be revitalised, so that rather than disappearing, traditional
food can be transformed to suit the current lifestyle trends. Therefore, more research
to revitalise traditional food should be conducted in the future. This can be achieved not
only by researchers from the cultural sciences, but also by those fromfarming/agriculture technology, pharmacology, and other interdisciplinary fields.
Interdisciplinary researchers working together can produce more significant research
results.
Traditional games such as egrang, engklek, congklak (dakon), benthik, and jamuran were
popularly documented in the last decades. We found 1 study on traditional games, but
we did not upload it to the IRCI Research Database because of its year of publication.
With the development of the Internet, traditional games may disappear soon if we donot make an effort to preserve them. Researchers from oral tradition institutions (Balai
Bahasa) in each of Indonesia’s provinces may have studied the games the children of
every ethnic group play, and some related manuscripts may be available in the library.
Although we tried to collect a variety of ICH research from all over Indonesia, we werestill unable to collect published ICH research articles from the Lesser Sunda Islands andthe Maluku Islands. This is perhaps because we prioritised uploading article abstracts
from open online journals, and the articles from the aforementioned areas may be
published in non-open-access journals.
E. Institutions’ Contributions to the Collected Data
The data collected under the project ‘Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH
Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region’ are actually very useful for visualising the
distribution of ICH research Indonesian scholars have conducted from year to year. The
collected data also show us that there are certain ICH fields that have been popular andcertain fields that were unpopular or out of focus among Indonesian scholars in a certain
year. Furthermore, when uploaded, these collected data will inspire other researchers
to fill the research lacuna in certain genres or focus areas. However, the IRCI Research
Database has not been very popular among researchers in Indonesia; therefore, the56 | Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021

database should be promoted more for the benefit of ICH as well as for researchscholars.
F. National Collaborators’ Networking Prospects in This ProjectThis project’s national collaborators had strong pre-existing relationships, and each ofus has our own network with other institutions that can work together on ICH research,especially to safeguard ICH and revitalise ICH elements, for example, to revitalise
traditional medicine and traditional food research in collaboration with pharmacology
and biology colleagues. Another example is in the field of engineering, where us scholars
from the cultural academic field can work with architecture or chemical engineeringscholars to revitalise the traditional conservation method for organic building materials.
In conclusion, our current cooperation on the ‘Sustainable Research Data Collection for
ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region’ project has shown us that we still lackresearch in certain ICH genres and that more ICH research should be conducted byresearchers working outside of the cultural field of study, such as in biology, law,
pharmacy, medicine, economics, and tourism. When researchers working in these fields
collaborate with researchers from cultural fields of study (i.e. anthropology,archaeology, and history), the result will be more comprehensive.

Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021 | 57

58 | Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021

RESEARCH TREND SUMMARY FOR MALAYSIA 2019–2021
OVERALL REPORT
Hanafi Hussin
Universiti Malaya Cultural and Heritage Research Centre (UMCHRC)
University of Malaya

INTRODUCTION
Data collection process, networking, and collaboration with National Collaborators
The data collection process regarding the intangible cultural heritage of Malaysia started
in 2019. Initially, only the University of Malaya was involved in the project's datacollection. The data were in the form of research articles, books, and book chapters thatthe researchers published on intangible cultural heritage. In 2019, 12 papers on
intangible cultural heritage published by University of Malaya researchers between
2015 and 2018 were collected. These papers were on intangible cultural heritage
elements like performing arts, social practices, festive events, oral traditions, andlanguage. In 2020, to collect the data, a collaboration was established involving two
more Malaysian universities, namely University Malaysia Sarawak (UMS) and Universiti
Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). Consequently, 40 papers on intangible cultural heritage
published between 2016 and 2020 by faculty of the University of Malaya (UM),
University Malaysia Sarawak (UMS), and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) werecollected. These manuscripts cover intangible cultural heritage elements like performing
arts, rituals, oral traditions and language, drama, traditional craftsmanship, social
practices, worldviews, textiles, traditional medicine, festive events, and ecologicalknowledge and practices.
In 2021, another Malaysian university, namely Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK), wasincluded in the collaboration to collect data, in addition to the University of Malaya(UM), University Malaysia Sarawak (UMS), and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).
First, data were collected from each of these institutions’ own repositories, as well as byvisiting the profiles of researchers at these institutions working on intangible cultural
heritage. Second, data were also collected from Malaysian researchers working on
intangible cultural heritage at other Malaysian universities. Consequently, 70 papers on
intangible cultural heritage published by faculty of the University of Malaya (UM),
University Malaysia Sarawak (UMS), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), andSustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021 | 59

Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) between 2017 and 2021 were collected. These
manuscripts cover intangible cultural heritage elements like performing arts, rituals, oral
traditions and language, drama, traditional craftsmanship, social practices, textiles,
traditional medicine, festive events, and ecological knowledge and practices.
Further collaboration is required to explore intangible cultural heritage genres in local
regions and with other Malaysian universities located in different regions. Additionally,
international collaboration with other universities is also suggested for comparative
studies.
PROJECT CHALLENGES AND FINDINGSThe following challenges were faced during the intangible cultural heritage datacollection process:• Many papers were published in the Malay language (Malaysian language), andbecause English translations were not available, these papers were excluded fromthe data.
• Papers on ICH were not easily available through the Google search function, but
searches were conducted through either the university library or by visiting
researchers’ profiles.
• Some studies did not state a studied ICH genre.
• Some papers’ abstracts were not available in English, so they were excluded.
• Some papers contained ambiguity regarding the heritage status of either tangible orintangible cultural heritage, so they were also excluded.
• The other challenge this project faced was obtaining the researchers’/authors'consent to publish their data.
The following are the important findings identified during this data collection project:• Bangsawan art is categorised as urban theatre; the art form has been performed dueto the rapid urbanisation in the cities. This is a rarely discussed issue, as the existing
research focuses more on the elements of performing arts contained in theBangsawan art form. This research aims to analyse the role of Kuala Lumpur as animportant factor in the growth of Begawan groups and their audience in Malaysia.

60 | Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021

• Performing arts like developing and creating the traditional Selangor Buginese ‘Poja’dance and its reconstruction linked to the ‘Pakurru Sumange’ dance in South
Sulawesi, Indonesia• Rituals and ceremonies of the Bidayuh tribes in Sarawak Borneo, which are takenfrom bajo asal (traditional songs) and girite Bidayuh damba (stories and legends) are
explored to authenticate manifestation of the Bidayuh culture and tradition in the
numerous Bidayuh society areas in Bau, Padawan, and the Serian division ofSarawak.
• Sayaw barong is one of the traditional performances of the Bajau Sama ethnicity in
Kota Belud, Sabah. It is a symbolic performance that represents the war dance inBajau martial arts locally and is used as an offensive and defensive technique(buah/jurus silat) that merges in different streams (aliran) of silat, such as silat
kuntau, silat sping/sprint, silat betawi, and silat Nusantara.
• The nobat ensemble is the last of the Malay court traditions still being performed in
its original context – to install rulers. However, there is strong indication.
• Makyung has been documented for nearly a century, and recent developments havefurther encouraged academics to examine the threat to the art form's survival. The
current documentation has managed to record almost all aspects of makyung, fromits history to its music, dance, stories, and performance structure. One researchstudy examines the currently available documentation on makyung at all relevant
institutions.
• Kuda kepang, a traditional dance practised by the Javanese community in Johor, isalso in danger of extinction due to the fatwa of the Johor religious authorities.
Current documentation analyses the spiritual aspect of the performance and how it
affects the cultural identity of the Javanese community in Singapore.
• Main puteri is an important aspect of the Kelantan Malay’s form of alternative
healing and connects them to the practices of their ancestors. It has been proven tobe effective at healing certain illnesses related to psychology and emotions.
• Dikir Barat has become an important part of Kelantanese popular culture andmaintains its strong identity through use of the Kelantanese dialect and themes
reflecting local social issues.

Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021 | 61• Sape has been well documented and is still actively played in Sarawak. It has also
been modernised to include electronic pickups and adjusted tunings, allowing forthe instrument to be played in modern bands.
• Musical instruments of the Dusun Tindal in Kampung Tinuhan in Sabah. The Dusun
Tindal belong to the state’s larger Kadanzandusun ethnic majority. The developmentof the instruments, including their physical structure and musical elements, areanalysed.
• Lundayeh dance forms performed in the areas of Tenom, Sipitang, and Long Pa Sia,along the west coast of Sabah.
• Bisaya dance in Beaufort is still performed and documented amidst the intensifying
modernisation of Sabah.
• The practices of tahlīl (a recital ceremony for the dead) and tunggu kubur (grave
waiting) from the perspective of the principles of Islamic jurisprudence. In the Malay
community, tahlīl is a form of psychological and emotional support for thedeceased’s family, while the practice of tunggu kubur (grave waiting) is intended toprotect buried corpses from theft and mystical activities.
• Traditional knowledge regarding the usage of gunpowder is explored based on
manuscripts to provide a clearer picture of the textual dynamics of gunpowder
knowledge and highlight its importance in enhancing the understanding of Malay
gun technology.
• Local wisdom expressed in the pemali (taboo) tradition of the Indonesian people
representing 12 different ethnic groups living in the East Kalimantan province ofIndonesia is studied in terms of their safety, health, prosperity, marriage/mating
practices, and education.
• Medicinal plants in Kampung Orang Asli Donglai Baru, Hulu Langat, and Selangor,
Malaysia. The purpose is to document and preserve traditional knowledge about
medicinal plants before it is completely lost due to the degradation of surrounding
natural habitats.
• It also documents ethnomedicinal plants' diversity and population status in
Kampung Masjid Ijok's home gardens and the associated traditional knowledge.
• Social practices of the Kampung Malay community are discussed regarding thegarden elements and their landscape, which abide by the Malaysian Garden
Concept's (MGC) basic guidelines. The findings highlight that these landscape and

62 | Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021

garden elements seem to be unattractive to designers and are no longer a priority
for continuity among homeowners.
SUMMARY OF THE DATA COLLECTED IN 3 YEARS (PHASES 1–3)
Research Trend Summary for Malaysia 2019 (by University of Malaya [UM])
University of Malaya faculty have published 12 papers on intangible cultural heritage
from 2015 to 2018, including intangible cultural heritage elements like performing arts,social practices, festive events, oral traditions, and language. Among these 12 papers, 7
papers are about the vitality and protection of different local languages, and 2 papers
are about performing arts like music and festive events. Additionally, 2 papers are about
traditional food (gastronomy) heritage, and 1 paper is about the traditional health carepractices (Jamu) of Malay women from the Javanese community.
Languages that are included in these studies are Mah Meri, which is spoken on Telo’
Gunjeng (Carey Island, Selangor), Bidayuh (the language of one of the indigenous groups
in East Malaysia), the Kedah variety of Acehnese, Malacca Portuguese Creole (MPC),
Acehnese in Kampung Aceh, and Malacca Portuguese-Eurasians in Malaysia. The main
aim of these research efforts was to gain a picture of the sociolinguistic situation in theseareas. It was found that there is a high degree of vitality for the Mah Meri language,
even though it is lower than that of the Bidayuh. Furthermore, there is evidence of a
relatively high degree of endangerment for the languages spoken by the Orang Asli ingeneral and for the Mah Meri in particular. Factors that seem to help preserve minority
heritage languages have been identified, including encouraging endogamy largely byensuring that the community does not become too dispersed, upholding traditional
values, providing widespread support for multilingualism, and maintaining religious
beliefs that are distinct from the dominant ones. It has been concluded that there isconsiderable variation between speakers of a variety of Acehnese used in Malaysia
regarding their vowel system, specifically in the way each of the vowels is produced.
Regarding Malay gestures, it has been concluded that Malay speakers use various
manual pointing gestures and other bodily actions involving gaze and torso as well ashead movements to communicate distinct functions. Although some gesture forms andfunctions are shared among Malay speakers and other cultural groups, some directiongiving pointing behaviours are Malay-specific.

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In the performing arts, the musical style of the Mak Yong, dating from the early 20th
century to current times, has been discussed, noting the musical features of periodic
formal structures, the resultant rhythms, and the complex melodic content binding thisgenre to aspects of an ancient Southeast Asian musical style, as well as the influence ofMiddle Eastern music culture.
The second paper on the performing arts examines two festivals in Sama/Bajau culture
in Kamahardikaan, namely the festival of Bongao in Tawi-Tawi province in thePhilippines and the Regatta Lepa festival of Semporna, Sabah in Malaysia. A review ofthese tourist events in the southern Philippines and East Malaysia revealed theemergence of quite a number of festivals that veer away from the nature of traditional
ones.
Intangible cultural heritage, especially food and traditional performing arts, hassignificantly contributed to the ‘Malaysia Truly Asia’ branding and to tourism
development.
It has been found that in many aspects of life, particularly regarding traditional healthcare practices, the Javanese community still maintains their identity, while keeping the
Malay image intact.
Research Trend Summary for Malaysia 2020 by the University of Malaya (UM) and 2
National Collaborators (University Malaysia Sarawak [UMS] & Universiti Kebangsaan
Malaysia [UKM])
More than 50 papers on intangible cultural heritage have been published from 2016 to2020 by faculty of the University of Malaya (UM), University Malaysia Sarawak (UMS),
and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). These manuscripts cover intangible cultural
heritage elements like performing arts, rituals, oral traditions and language, drama,
traditional craftsmanship, social practices, worldviews, textiles, traditional medicine,
festive events, and ecological knowledge and practices.
Among these 40 papers, 7 papers are about the rituals performed during different
religious events and the food prepared for those rituals in the Iban community in
Limbang (Sabak), Pakan (Leka Timang), and Kapit and Betong (Miring). Four papers areabout the oral traditions and language of Bidayuh in the Sarawak and Cantonese
Hokkien dialect group of Chinese in Kleng valley, as well as the folklores of Malay syair.
Four papers are about the ecological knowledge and practices of the indigenous Malay
people in the Orang Asli resettlement villages in the state of Terengganu and the

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Bidayuh Bau-Jagoi community. Seven papers are about performing arts like the music
and dance of Wayang Kulit Kelantan, the makyung dance, the tradition of performing
bangsawan in theatre, and the Gamelan Sarawak and kuda kepang dance of MalayMuslim communities. Traditional Malay theatre, main peteri, is believed to have physicaland psychological/emotional healing effects, thereby qualifying it as a form ofdramatherapy. Six papers are about the social practices of the Orang Asli, Javanese,
Bajau, and Malay communities regarding alternative treatment using traditional herbal
medicine derived from traditional flora and fauna. Three papers are about thetraditional craftsmanship of kelingkan embroidery on veils in Sarawak, Selangor,
Kelantan, Terengganu, and Negeri Sembilan in Malaysia, as well as in Pontianak,
Ketapang, Daik, and Palembang in Indonesia, and the earliest textile techniques, ikattunggal and ikat ganda, for weaving sulam and pakon. The wood carvings on the hilts
and sheaths (taguban) of parang (machetes) created through Bajau craftsmanship in
Kota Belud of Sabah are also discussed. Five papers are about heritage management in
the traditional communities of Sarawak and Sabah, as well as in other states in Malaysia,
and the heritage legislation act of National Heritage, 2005. Four papers are about the
local wisdom used to prepare traditional Malay food in Saribas and the wisdom
traditions evident in their thought patterns in Sarawak Iban pua kumbu.
The rituals covered in these papers are based in the Peranakan Chinese community’s
belief in sacred spirits and deities and are performed in Kampung Pasir Parit, in
conjunction with the Datok Janggut (sacred spirit) site transfer, which took place on
January 5, 2018. The papers cover rituals performed by Chinese communities in
Malaysia, the Broga in Negeri Sembilan, and the Machap Baru in Melaka, as well as
rituals performed by the Iban community in Limbang (Sabak), Pakan (Leka Timang), andKapit and Betong (Miring). Regarding the Bajau, the traditional Sabah ritual performedin the community of Bajau Semporna, which is Magombo, honours their ancestors'
spirits. There also exists the catastrophe rejection ritual practised by the people of
Petalangan to prevent disaster befalling the individual, the village, or the society as awhole. This ritual was also called ‘village’. The element of Islam was added through areligious fiesta for repulsive reinforcement. However, due to the community’s lack ofunderstanding of Islamic teachings, coupled with the low level of education and a strong
psychological relationship with the surrounding community, this ritual persisted.
Languages that are included in these studies are the Bidayuh language, which is spoken
in Sarawak, East Malaysia, and Hakka, and the Cantonese and Hokkien dialect groups
that successively became dominant among the Chinese in the Klang Valley from 1860.

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Traditional knowledge of natural resources among the Orang Asli in Terengganu in
Malaysia and the indigenous knowledge (IK) contained in the Bidayuh folk narratives or
dondan are also explored in the Bidayuh Bau-Jagoi community. These two types of IK
are analysed within the context of the Gawai, that is, the cultural celebrations of the
Bidayuh community.
In the performing arts, the Malay-Muslim communities makyong and kuda kepang arestudied as a medium of education, medicine, and worship. Therapeutic aspects of the
traditional Malay theatre, main peteri, which is believed to have physical andpsychological/emotional healing effects, are also studied. The therapeutic properties ofmain peteri are explored and described in terms of their effects as healing agents. The
tradition of performing bangsawan in Sarawak theatre, as well as stage structure andother elements, are also discussed.
The social practices studied in these articles are relevant to mantras related to Bajau
women’s beauty in Sabah, the embroidered Tepak sirih used at wedding ceremonies
among the Kampung Seri Kedah, Sungai Leman, and Sekinchan Selangor, and the herbal
medicine of the Javanese and other Malay communities. Plants and herbs that are
known to be medicinal according to the indigenous tribes in peninsular Malaysia andtraditional knowledge and usage of medicinal plants among the Semai in a village in the
Malayasian state Perak are also studied. Traditional forms of craftsmanship covered inthese studies include the gold and silver embroidery on veils in Sarawak, Selangor,
Kelantan, Terengganu, and Negeri Sembilan in Malaysia, the kelingkan embroidery on
veils in Pontianak, Ketapang, Daik, and Palembang in Indonesia, and the early Malay
textile techniques of ikat tunggal and ikat ganda for weaving sulam and pakon. The
wood carvings on the hilts and sheaths (taguban) of parang (machetes) created by Bajau
craftsmanship in Kota Belud of Sabah are also studied.
Research Trend Summary of Malaysia 2021 by UM and 3 National Collaborators(University of Malaya [UM], University Malaysia Sarawak [UMS], Universiti
Kebangsaan Malaysia [UKM] & Universiti Malaysia Kelantan [UMK])
More than 70 papers on intangible cultural heritage have been published from 2016 to2020 by faculty of the University of Malaya (UM), University Malaysia Sarawak (UMS),
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), and Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK). These
manuscripts cover intangible cultural heritage elements like performing arts, rituals, oral
traditions and language, drama, traditional craftsmanship, social practices, textiles,
traditional medicine, festive events, and ecological knowledge and practices. Seventy

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papers were chosen for this phase of data collection; the breakdown is as follows: 10from UM, 20 from UMS, 20 from UKM, and 20 from UMK.
Among these 70 papers, 35 papers are about the performing arts of music, dance,
drama, theatre, and martial arts activities performed during different religious andfestive events. Performing arts that are covered in these papers include Bangsawan art,
which is categorised as urban theatre due to the rapid urbanisation in the cities where
the art form has been performed. Also included are the traditional Selangor Buginese‘Poja’ dance and its reconstruction linked to the ‘Pakurru Sumange’ dance in South
Sulawesi, Indonesia. The rituals and ceremonies of the Bidayuh tribes in Sarawak
Borneo, which are taken from bajo asal (traditional songs) and girite Bidayuh damba(stories and legends), are explored to authenticate manifestation of the Bidayuh culture
and tradition in the numerous Bidayuh society areas in Bau, Padawan, and the Seriandivision of Sarawak. Similarly, Sayaw barong is one of the traditional performances of
the Bajau Sama ethnic group in Kota Belud, Sabah. It is a symbolic performance that
represents the war dance in Bajau martial arts locally, and it used as an offensive anddefensive technique (buah/jurus silat) that merges in different streams (aliran) of silat,
such as silat kuntau, silat sping/sprint, silat betawi, and silat Nusantara.
Also covered are nobat, which is the royal court musical ensemble performed in the
Malay courts of Kedah, Selangor, Perak, Terengganu, and Brunei; the traditional
Kelantanese dance drama makyung or mak yong, which the Kelantan state government
previously banned but which has recently been cleared for public performance providing
adherence to the state’s Islamic code of performance; and dikir barat, a popular folk art
form and main pateri or main teri, which is a healing ritual involving music and theatre,
similar to makyung. The kuda kepang dance performance is also covered; it is practisedin the Javanese community in the state of Johor. Malaysian musical instruments are also
examined, including the sape, a chordophone played in the Orang Ulu community inSarawak. Additionally, the musical instruments of the Dusun Tindal in Kampung Tinuhan
in Sabah, who belong to the state’s larger Kadanzandusun ethnic majority, are discussed.
Furthermore, the Lundayeh dance forms performed in the areas of Tenom, Sipitang, andLong Pa Sia along the west coast of Sabah and the Bisaya dance tradition in Beaufort arestudied. Kuntau performance is a form of martial arts present in the Iban community inlonghouses in Sarawak; it is performed only by men called bujang berani. However, as
the years went by, Kuntau came to be performed as a form of entertainment during
festive seasons such as the Gawai Dayak festival.

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Traditional dance, including the Ngajat, a traditional dance that is synonymous with theethnic group of Iban in Sarawak, is covered. This dance is usually performed at festivals
such as the Gawai Dayak and matrimonial celebrations. In Sabah, instruments andgenres of Makiang group music suggest evidence of diffusion from Sama’-Bajau andSuluk musical practices, including the morunsai vocal dance genre and performances ofthe sampasang no gabang and sampasang no kulintangan ensembles. This evidences
cultural convergences through which east-coast Sama’-Bajau musical practices
absorbed into interior cultures and transformed over time. The usungan/tandu paradeis a unique traditional practice and is still performed in coastal Sarawak communities at
the khatam al-Quran event. It is a tradition to celebrate their children's success at having
just completed the Holy al-Quran recitation. Another line of research concerns themusical compositions of the Tazul Izan Tajuddin; for this research, the focus has mainly
been on the musical analysis of the compositions themselves. Encapsulated within
Tazul's Kabus Pantun (2018), it attempts to elucidate how John Rink's idea of aperformer's creative process can contribute to preparing a performance with respect toworks that push pianistic possibilities to the limit, if not beyond.
Sixteen papers are about the local wisdom and customs adopted during different
activities and ceremonies and in the rule of life, including rewards and punishments
suited to particular offences. Forms of local wisdom discussed in these studies include
the practice of tahlīl (a recital ceremony for the dead) and tunggu kubur (grave waiting)from the perspective of the principles of Islamic jurisprudence. In the Malay community,
tahlīl is a form of psychological and emotional support for the deceased’s family, while
the practice of tunggu kubur (grave waiting) is intended to protect buried corpses fromtheft and mystical activities. Traditional knowledge about the usage of gunpowder is
explored based on manuscripts to provide a clearer picture of the textual dynamics ofgunpowder knowledge and highlight its importance to enhance the understanding of
Malay gun technology. The pemali (taboo) tradition of the Indonesian people
representing 12 different ethnic groups living in the East Kalimantan province ofIndonesia is studied in terms of their safety, health, prosperity, marriage/mating
practices, and education. Rituals and taboos practised in the context of various life
activities in the Iban community settlement in Sungai Passai, Sibu Sarawak are also
discussed.
Customs adopted during the rule of the British North Borneo Chartered Company(BNBCC) in the Dusun community in Kimanis, Sabah are also covered. Officials andpreachers of the Orang Asli community faced challenges carrying out the activities

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planned by the MUIP around Pahang indigenous villages with respect to Da’wah’s
custom, which is an obligation for every Muslim. The evolutionary process pertaining to
Malay clothes, especially the trend among male Baju Melayu in Malaysia, precipitatedby social change and the transformative emergence of a new trend among the Baju
Melayu, is also covered. The contradiction of custom and Islamic law with respect tomarriage in the Murut Tahol community in Nabawan District, Sabah is another line ofresearch on customs. Linguistic taboo is also a custom, in which societies determine theverbal rules to be accepted as dogma in daily life. The creation of a linguistic taboo is not
an arbitrary decision, but rather one based on two main ideas drawn from relevancetheory. The custom of Tepung Tawar is also covered, as many generations have believed
in its ability to provide well-being and happiness to individuals who are sprinkled.
Another Sarawak custom is ngayau, which is a headhunting practice based on thecustom of the Iban community; it is their legacy. Additionally, the conservation of theJerat Sembat of the indigenous Temuan tribe in Kampung Gapam, Jasin, Melaka iscovered. Jerat Sembat is commonly used to trap animals in living conditions. Jerat
Sembat must be maintained to preserve the local wisdom of the indigenous people.
Nine papers are about craft traditions. The craft traditions covered in these papers
include the creation of blowpipe symbols by small businesses operated by the Orang Aslicommunities and the Kelarai pattern designs found on woven mats, as well as thephilosophy used to enhance understanding and appreciation of the art of mat weaving,which has been gradually fading into obscurity. The future of this Malay art heritage is
uncertain. Boat-shaped coffin artefacts found in the Painted Cave of Niah, Sarawak arealso covered. Specifically, the design, function, and use of boat-shaped coffins in thepast are discussed. Techniques to produce the creative designs reflected in the
traditional Malay handicrafts batik and songket, which are prominent in Kelantan andTerengganu, are also discussed. Kelingkan embroidery, a traditional Malay art form thatwas passed on from generation to generation, specifically in Kelantan and Malaysia ingeneral, is also discussed. ‘Kain Telepuk’, which is the most glorious Malay textile in thestate of Selangor, is covered as well. The Telepuk textile is a rich fabric that was typicallyworn by royalty and members of the nobility 300 years ago. This study documents andcompiles the aesthetic and philosophical value of the treasured Telepuk textile as the
traditional Selangor Malay royal court fabric. The philosophy of the art motifs anddesigns published in connection with bunga terung, a symbol synonymous with the Iban
ethnic group in Borneo, is also covered. In Sarawak, the bunga terung is worn by Iban
men who have attained puberty to signify their entry into adulthood.

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Four papers are about the traditional medicines and medicinal plants used in the Malay
community. Traditional medicines that have been explored in these studies include
medicinal plants in Kampung Orang Asli Donglai Baru, Hulu Langat, Selangor, Malaysia
and the population status of ethnomedicinal plants in the home gardens of Kampung
Masjid Ijok, along with associated traditional knowledge. These studies discuss the
Malay heritage of making medicine, administering treatment, preparing materials,
acquiring knowledge, and cultivating plants for medicinal purposes. The role of fruits incuring diseases within the Malay community is also discussed.
Three papers are about folk beliefs and customary rituals. The folk beliefs and customary
rituals covered include berburung, which is a belief in animism that existed in the Iban
community before the advent of Christianity and Islam. According to the birding belief,
the Iban people use 7 types of birds, namely Ketupung, Beragai, Bejampung, Pangkas,
Papau, Embuas, and Nendak. The ‘miring’ ceremony plays an important role in the Iban’s
Sarawak community. Miring ceremonies are held during annual festivals, paddy
cultivation, and the early phase of house construction, as well as in connection with any
activities for which the Sarawak practitioner’s group considers the ceremony necessary.
The gender socialisation belief system is based on the norms, values, and customs held
according to the perspectives of the traditional Malay community.
Two papers are about folklore passed orally from generation to generation until they
became known as archipelago folk narrative literature. The folklore included in thesestudies is from Mukim Bebar Pekan, Pahang, as well as the oral stories of the Jakun
Orang Asli in Rompin, Pahang. The oral stories that exist in the Jakun Orang Aslicommunity are declining; that is, they are gradually disappearing and are facing thethreat of extinction. Conservation efforts are urgently needed, as this will affect thecontinuity of oral stories as part of the oral traditions that shape the Jakun Orang Aslicommunity's identity.
One paper is about the social practices of the Kampung Malay community regarding
their garden elements and landscape, in accordance with the Malaysian Garden
Concept's (MGC) basic guidelines. The findings highlight that the landscape and garden
elements seem to be unattractive to designers and are no longer a priority for continuity
among homeowners. Findings also indicate that most of the kampung landscapeelements do not significantly impact the supporting guidelines issued by the National
Landscape Department (NLD).

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REFLECTIONS#What kind of information was not gathered? (e.g. research focus / academic fields /ICH genres / methodological approaches, etc.)• Dominant ICH genres studied are performing arts, medicinal plants heritage, local
wisdom, and social practices.
• Many researchers are aware of and concerned about the preservation of ICH, andthis project is an excellent effort to motivate them to protect different intangible
cultural heritage elements.
• The focus of these studies is to document those ICH, so that they may be preserved
for the coming generations.
• There is a dearth of studies on the ICH genres of traditional craftsmanship, rituals,
food heritage, festive events, sports/games, and worldviews.
• There is a lack of community awareness-raising regarding ICH preservation andpolicy-making research.
#Do the results reflect the ICH research trend(s) in your country?
The data that have been collected during these 3 years show that the dominant ICH
genres studied in Malaysia are performing arts, medicinal plants heritage, rituals, local
wisdom, and social practices.
#Which research areas and topics should be emphasised in the future?
ICH genres that researchers at Malaysian universities need to explore are:• Traditional craftsmanship• Local sports• Festive events• Rituals• Ecological knowledge and practices• Food heritage#How can the collected data contribute to the promotion of ICH safeguarding andassociated research activities?
Through collected data, existing research trends can be identified that will be helpful tolaunch an awareness campaign in the associated communities regarding preserving andconserving their intangible cultural heritage and transferring it to the coming

Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021 | 71

generations. The data can also be used to identify the ICH genres that research has
neglected. Doing so will help to motivate researchers to explore those understudied ICH
genres, with the aid of different funding projects. ICH genres like festive events can bepromoted at the national level to attract foreign tourists. This will not only help
communities keep their heritage alive but will also help them to enhance their standardof living.
#How can/will the network of national collaborators developed for this project bemaintained into the future?
Network building is important among different collaborative universities as a means ofenabling such institutions to share their findings with each other. They may share their
ICH research methodologies to refine and preserve different genres of ICH efficiently.
This collaboration is also important to avoid repeatedly studying the same aspects of
ICH genres, and it will help to expand the scope of the studied dimensions. It is also
helpful to conduct a comparative study to identify the key regional differences among
those genres that make them unique from the others.
CONCLUSION
The Malaysian ICH genre data collection process began in 2019; only the University of
Malaya (UM) was involved, and 12 papers published by UM faculty were collected. In
2020 the University of Malaya established a collaboration with 2 more Malaysian
universities, namely University Malaysia Sarawak (UMS) and Universiti Kebangsaan
Malaysia (UKM), and collectively selected 40 papers that these universities had
published on ICH genres between 2016 and 2020. In 2021, 1 more national university,
Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK), was included in this collaboration, and 70 papers
published by Malaysian universities were collectively selected. The ICH genres coveredin these papers are performing arts, medicinal plants heritage, rituals, local wisdom, andsocial practices. This data collection project is an excellent effort to motivate researchers
to preserve different intangible cultural heritage elements. This will help createawareness within the local communities regarding conserving their cultural heritage andtransferring it to the coming generations. This project highlights the trends in the
research conducted in Malaysia on different ICH genres. It is also helpful to identify theneglected ICH genres that Malaysian researchers could potentially explore in the future.

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REPORT ON DATA COLLECTION OF RESEARCH ON
THE INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE OF
VIETNAMESE ETHNIC GROUPS
Vu Dieu Trung
Director of Cultural Heritage Data Centre
Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts Studies (VICAS)

I. The data collection process
The Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts Studies (VICAS) collaborated with theInternational Research Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region(IRCI) to collect data on studies pertaining to Vietnam’s intangible cultural heritage from2019 to 2021. In 2019, VICAS selected, collected, and edited 10 articles about intangible
cultural heritage by VICAS researchers. Applying the same method, VICAS, together withits 5 partners, collected 120 articles/books (2020: 50, 2021: 70) in 2020 and 2021. Data
selection, collection, and review were conducted in accordance with the following steps:
In 2019: Selection of 10 articles/books by VICAS researchers
Project manager: Assoc. Prof. Dr Nguyễn Thị HiềnThe data collection process was conducted as follows:- VICAS’s leaders organised a meeting to discuss and determine criteria for selecting
qualified papers/articles/books on ICH.
- VICAS’s leaders assigned Assoc. Prof. Dr Nguyễn Thị Hiền as the head of the selection
committee.
- Assoc. Prof. Dr Nguyễn Thị Hiền gathered and reviewed the content of thearticles/books by VICAS researchers. Follow-up activities included:- Editing and translating the collected data
- Categorising and inputting the collected data
- Writing a report

Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021 | 73

In 2020:

Selection of 50 articles/books by VICAS researchers in the Department of
Anthropology within the Hanoi University of Social Sciences and Humanities
and at the Institute of Cultural Studies within the Vietnam Academy of Social
Sciences

Project manager: Assoc. Prof. Dr Nguyễn Thị HiềnThe data collection process was conducted as follows:- Assoc. Prof. Dr Nguyễn Thị Hiền worked with researchers from the Department of
Anthropology within the Hanoi University of Social Sciences and Humanities and theInstitute of Cultural Studies within the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences to choose
data collection methods.
After collecting the data, follow-up activities included:- Editing and translating the collected data
- Categorising and inputting the collected data
- Writing a report
In 2021: Selection of 70 articles/books by VICAS researchers at the Hanoi University of
Culture, the Vietnam Association of Folklorists, and the Institute of Ethnology
within the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences
Project manager: Dr Vũ Diệu Trung, Director of the VICAS Cultural Heritage Data Centre- VICAS’s leaders decided to appoint Dr Vũ Diệu Trung to be the project manager.
- Dr Vũ Diệu Trung tasked 4 staff members from the Cultural Heritage Data Centre,
namely Nguyễn Trung Bình, Nguyễn Thị Hạnh, Phan Mạnh Dương, and Từ Thị Thu
Hằng, with collecting and classifying all the data on intangible cultural heritage
research from 2016 to 2021 and applying specific selection criteria in accordance withthe current trends in and context of Vietnamese intangible cultural heritage research.
The specific criteria are:+ Intangible cultural heritage of the least populous ethnic groups, i.e. those numbering
under 10,000 people, in Vietnam.
+ Intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent safeguarding

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+ ICH policies and the management of intangible cultural heritage+ Other data on typical values, region-specific forms of intangible cultural heritage, andissues related to intangible cultural heritage that are of interest- Dr Vũ Diệu Trung met with researchers from the Hanoi University of Culture, theVietnam Association of Folklorists, and the Institute of Ethnology under the Vietnam
Academy of Social Sciences to select data collection methods.
The objectives of the meeting were:
1/ Reviewing and collecting data on papers/articles/books about intangible cultural
heritage published between 2016 and June 2021 by researchers from member
partners (i.e. Hanoi University of Culture, Vietnam Association of Folklorists, and theInstitute of Ethnology within the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences)
2/ The Hanoi University of Culture, the Vietnam Association of Folklorists, and theInstitute of Ethnology within the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences selected
qualified articles/books by their researchers and sent them to VICAS for reexamination to determine whether they are in accordance with the criteria set out in
2021 for submission on IRCI’s system.
After collecting the data, follow-up activities included:- Editing and translating the collected data
- Categorising and inputting the collected data
- Writing a report
II. Problems during project implementation
The collected data can contribute to the promotion of ICH safeguarding and associatedresearch activities:
From 2019 to 2021, VICAS and IRCI collaborated to collect data on studies about
Vietnam’s intangible cultural heritage. This has yielded remarkable results, which are:Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021 | 75

- VICAS researchers have read and quite carefully researched published works on
intangible cultural heritage. At the same time, the system obtains data on intangible
cultural heritage according to the criteria set for each year of cooperation.
- The studies on intangible cultural heritage were classified according to the criteria inthe 2003 Convention, and weak points in the research on intangible cultural heritagein Vietnam were identified. This will make a definite contribution to the direction ofresearch on intangible cultural heritage in the next period.
- On the other hand, through data collection, VICAS also obtained an important data
source on intangible cultural heritage, which it can use to advise the Ministry of
Culture, Sports and Tourism on cultural development strategies, particularly
regarding general and intangible cultural heritage. In the cultural development
strategy for 2030, Decision No. 1909/QD-TTg dated 12/11/2021, Article 1, Part 3(Tasks and solutions), Section 6 (Protection and promotion of heritage national
culture) clearly states: ‘a) Complete the formulation of planning tasks and planningfor preservation, renovation and restoration of relics. To focus on investing in thepreservation, renovation and restoration of special national relics, world heritage
sites, historical-cultural relics of typical value, serving traditional education andeconomic development; combine conservation and promotion of cultural heritage
with tourism development. b) Improve the quality of collection, research, inventory
and classification of intangible cultural heritage and documentary heritage. Restoringand preserving a number of types of intangible cultural heritage and traditional arts
at risk of extinction, with priority given to cultural heritages of ethnic groups with apopulation of less than 10,000 people. Promoting the value of intangible cultural
heritages registered by UNESCO, contributing to promoting the image of the country
and people of Vietnam. c) Consolidate and develop the museum system, renew thecontents and forms of display, upgrade [the] equipment and display system, andpromote the application of science and technology. Invest in building a number ofnational-level museums, central-level and local specialized museums; virtual
museum development. Develop a legal framework for the establishment andoperation of private museums. d) Innovating and improving the quality of cultural
heritage education inside and outside schools by diversifying models, methods andscales; strengthen the socialization of heritage education activities. d) Innovating and

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improving the treatment and honouring activities of artisans; create conditions forartisans to participate in teaching and promoting heritage in the community at home
and abroad. e) Digitize and make digital maps of special national relics, national relics,
national treasures and documentary heritages. Upgrading and effectively exploiting
the data bank on cultural heritage of 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam in line with therequirements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution’.
The National Collaborator network developed in this project can/will be utilised in
the future:
The International Research Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-PacificRegion (IRCI) has had a commendable policy of expanding its member partner countries,
and in turn, each country adds new member partners, which contributes to expanding
and strengthening the network for collecting intangible cultural heritage in the region.
However, after 2 years of implementation (2020–2021), this policy has caused someproblems that we need to discuss.
Firstly,

Vietnam’s

newmemberpartners

aremostlypublicnon-businessorganisations/institutions, and resources for international cultural cooperation are
mainly based on sponsorship funds without matching funds. The mobilisation of humanand financial resources is thus very difficult.
Secondly, when VICAS invited its member partners (i.e. the Hanoi University of Culture,
the Vietnam Association of Folklorists, and the Institute of Ethnology within the Vietnam
Academy of Social Sciences), they were not officially collaborators (unlike the legitimate
cooperation between VICAS and IRCI), and they had the option of refusing VICAS’s
invitation or accepting unenthusiastically. The data collection efforts, therefore, were
not as effective as expected, which delayed the project’s progress.
For this reason, we (VICAS and IRCI) should consider strategies for dealing with member
partners to achieve the best effect in terms of collecting ICH data.
Luckily, the conference on ‘Safeguarding and promoting the values of intangible cultural
heritage in Vietnam: The current situation and solutions’ held on November 30, 2021 for‘evaluating the protection and promotion of

the values of cultural heritage ofVietnamese ethnic groups according to the 2003 Convention on the Protection of

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Intangible Cultural Heritage, urgent issues in the protection of intangible cultural
heritage today, and orientations and solutions to protect and promote the values ofintangible cultural heritage of Vietnamese ethnic groups in the period 2021–2025’ wasvery fruitful, with strong participation from numerous member partners.
The IRCI's goal is to expand its membership partners to collect more data and provide a
multi-dimensional view of many researchers at different organisations across Vietnam.
Although we do not know how effective this work is in other countries, for Vietnam,
expanding the member partner network through 1 main partner will not be effective forcollecting data.
III. Data collection from 2019 to 2021
Data collection in 2019
In 2019, 10 articles/books by VICAS researchers were selected for publication on IRCI
Research Database, based on the following criteria:+ A system of ICH concepts: concept, inventory, protection, and management of ICH in
Vietnam under UNESCO’s 2003 Convention+ ICH in folk culture: village festivals, folk songs, music, folk performances, handicrafts,
traditional textiles, costumes, legends, stories, folksongs, and the indigenous
languages of ethnic minorities+ Solutions for safeguarding ICH: Most studies emphasise the safeguarding of ICH suchas inventory, documentation, propaganda, and publicity. For example, there are anumber of studies on safeguarding ICH including the role of museums, the role ofvillage elders in preserving and transmitting traditional culture to the young, and therole of mass media in raising awareness. The studies also highlight the roles of artists
and teaching experts in passing knowledge to the younger generation.
+ Policy and ICH management: cultural heritage law and the legal framework forsafeguarding ICH in Vietnam. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is in chargeof managing the safety and protection of ICH elements nationwide, from the central
to the local level.

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Data collection in 2020
In 2020, we selected 50 qualified studies conducted by researchers from VICAS and
VICAS’s partners. The studies on ICH focus on the following issues:+ The diversity of ICH in Vietnam: The collected data show the diversity of ICH including
folk games, traditional festivals and ceremonies, folk practices, epics, water
puppetry, shamanic rituals, and the ritual of transmitting folk knowledge. The data
were approached from different interdisciplinary aspects such as folklore,
ethnography, cultural studies, and anthropology.
+ Safeguarding ICH: Most studies emphasise ICH safeguarding such as inventory,
documentation, classification, and dissemination of ICH.
Data collection in 2021
In 2021, VICAS selected, summarised, and reviewed 70 typical books/articles on
intangible cultural heritage by researchers working at VICAS and 3 member partners,
namely the Hanoi University of Culture, the Vietnam Association of Folklorists, and theInstitute of Ethnology within the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences. The
books/articles were selected in accordance with the following criteria:
1/ Intangible cultural heritage of the least populous ethnic groups, i.e. those with under
10,000 people, in Vietnam
2/ Intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent safeguarding
3/ ICH policies and the management of intangible cultural heritage
4/ Other data on typical values, region-specific forms of intangible cultural heritage, andissues related to intangible cultural heritage that are of interest
Intangible cultural heritage of the least populous ethnic groups (i.e. those with under
10,000 people)
Vietnam is a multi-nationality country with 54 ethnic groups, 16 of which are the least
populous ethnic groups, with under 10,000 people, namely Si La, Odu, Brau, Rmam, Pu
Peo, Cong, Mang, Bo Y, Lo, Klao, Ngai, Lu, Pa Then, Chut, La Ha, La Hu. In-depth researchon issues related to the intangible cultural heritage of the least populous ethnic groups
in Vietnam has attracted more interest from ethnologists since 2016. Using specialised
methods, ethnologists and folklorists have studied ethnic cultures to orient and give

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ethnography-based cultural and anthropological indicators for activities aimed at
safeguarding intangible cultural heritage.
Studies on ethnic minorities have mainly focused on ethnographic descriptions of rituals
and ways of safeguarding cultural heritage.
Regarding basic research on ethnic cultures, Nguyễn Hồng Hải and Vũ Diệu Trung havepublished comprehensive books on material and spiritual life, especially the intangible
cultural heritage of the Bo Y, Co Lao, Pu Peo, and Lo people. Lê Thị Hường, Trần Thị Mai
Lan, Sa Thị Thanh Nga, and Dương Thùy Linh have also studied these ethnic groups.
Regarding the Si La ethnic group, Phan Mạnh Dương studied funeral rites in Can Hồcommune, Mường Tè district, Lai Châu province, covering rituals such as showing theway (nờ bô phơ in dialect), banishing evil spirits (ù khe dụ ơ in dialect), worshipping (chisư xư in dialect), bringing the dead to the grave (pà pị ế in dialect), calling the living’s
soul back (ạ xạ a ló khú in dialect ), visiting the grave (à ve pho in dialect), abandoning
mourning (gọ lề khớ pị in dialect), and entering the altar (xì chi thú in dialect) in detail.
These rituals describe the long journey of sending the dead to the ancestral world. InĐặng Kim Thoa’s article ‘Conservation of Si La culture in the current context’, the current
situation and causes of the disappearance of traditional culture are presented andsolutions to preserve Si La culture are proposed. Hoàng Thị Lê Thảo and Trường VănCường’s article ‘Health care in the family and clan of the Si La people in Can Hồcommune, Mường Tè district, Lai Châu province’ draws upon medical anthropologicalperspectives to study and analyse the relationship between health care and the familyorganisation and clan institutions of the Si La people in Can Hồ commune, Mường Tèdistrict, Lai Châu province.
Intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent safeguarding
Phan Quốc Anh’s article entitled ‘Problems posed in the transition from household
pottery to fine art pottery in the Bầu Trúc pottery village, Ninh Thuận’ addresses theCham people’s long-standing traditional pottery craft and the transition to fine art
pottery to meet consumer demand and serve tourism, which is seen as a process ofcultural transformation.
Từ Thị Loan’s study entitled ‘Xam singing – A cultural heritage in need of urgent
safeguarding’ evaluates the art of Xam singing to depict its beauty and essence, as wellas the unique nuances of traditional music genres such as Cheo, Ca tru, Trong quan,

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Quan ho, Vi singing, and lullabies. In the context of contemporary society, Xam singing
is falling into oblivion and is in urgent need of safeguarding.
Lê Thanh Hồng’s article entitled ‘How “Ca Tru” – a form of original traditional music ofVietnam – turned into “Co dau” singing in the early 20th century and its presence today’(researched in Hanoi) highlights the long history of Ca Tru, a type of traditional
Vietnamese music, as well as its folk and scholarly characteristics and its many strict
performance regulations. Vietnam proposed the urgent safeguarding of this type ofheritage after UNESCO recognised it as intangible cultural heritage. In general, thesestudies demonstrate the basic characteristics of ICH and the orientation of the urgent
protection work that is needed in the immediate and long term.
ICH policies and the management of intangible cultural heritage
The revised Law on Cultural Heritage, along with related directives, circulars, anddecrees, together create a legal corridor for the protection of intangible cultural heritagein Vietnam. On June 30, 2010, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued Circular
04/2010/TTBVHTTDL, which provides specific approval criteria for the recognition andinclusion of ICHs in provinces and cities nationwide on the national list of ICH. Thus, thestate has cared for and safeguarded ICH, alongside the implementation ofprograms/projects aimed at raising communities’ awareness and capacity to selfconsciously protect ICH. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is responsible forthe state-level management of ICH across the whole country. Studies have indicatedeffective strategies for protecting ICH at the state, provincial, and district levels, and toa small extent, also at the village/hamlet level.
Some studies emphasise the government’s role in safeguarding ICH without presenting
the active role of the community, which is the bearer of ICH. However, many otherstudies have indicated that the community is the best at safeguarding their own ICH,
while the state should only play the role of supporting communities, so that they may
improve their safeguarding capacity, as well as assist with ICH protection. Author Bùi Thị
Thanh Thủy proposed ‘the relationship between the conservation and promotion ofcultural heritage values and tourism development in the current period’ in her study. It
is a two-way relationship involving mutual influence and interaction dependent on good,effective management for exploiting cultural heritage. She also mentioned the cohesion
between cultural heritage values and tourism development.

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Returning to the issue of safeguarding the traditional cultural values of ethnic minorities
in the Central Highlands in the current context, author Bùi Minh Đạo studied the typicalcultural values of local ethnic minorities in the Central Highlands through self-governing
institutions, customary laws, communal houses, tomb houses, tomb statues, gongmusic, and epics. He also analysed cultural changes, their causes, and the impacts onstability and sustainable development. Nguyễn Thị Thanh Hoa, in her article entitled‘Safeguarding and promoting cultural heritage of ethnic minorities through a humanrights-based approach: From international discourse to practice in Vietnam’, affirmed
ethnic minorities’ right to participate in cultural life (including the right to create,express, and distribute cultural values, practices and products), which is one of the basic
rights of individuals and communities. This approach is supposed to help create positivechanges in cultural development.
Research on the conservation and promotion of heritage values in the Central Highlands
has been conducted by the authors Lê Anh Tuấn, Cao Trung Vinh, Lý Hành Sơn, andNguyễn Thị Tám; their works mention the cultural heritage values prevalent in the HàGiang province. Research on the conservation of Tai culture and the art of Xoe dancehas been conducted by Chử Thị Thu Hà , Nguyễn Thị Hạnh, and Nguyễn Mạnh Cường.
Author Phan Văn Tú expressed interest in the safeguarding and development oftraditional arts in an article about the conservation and development of water puppetry
through a case study on Rạch Village in the Hồng Quang commune, Nam Trực district,
Nam Định province. He proposed solutions such as collecting water puppet shows,prioritising training, establishing a specialised water puppetry association, restoring
unique plays, developing new items, and soliciting state financial investment in this art
form.
Some authors have also discussed customary law and local knowledge to determine thebest way to safeguard ICH and solve related contemporary issues. Trương Văn Cường
wrote an article titled ‘The customary law or the law: The choice of the Raglai people in
Khánh Hoà province in resolving conflicts and disputes today’, and Nguyễn Thẩm Thu Hàanalysed the role of local knowledge and local knowledge combined with science inadapting to climate change at the community level among ethnic minorities in her study
entitled ‘Local knowledge in adaptation with climate change of ethnic minorities inVietnam’, a work in which she proposed some recommendations to improve
communities’ capacity in this regard. Furthermore, Lương Hồng Quang and Bùi Thị KimPhương studied the ‘management model of the woodblock heritage of the Vĩnh Nghiêm

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and Bổ Đà pagodas in Bắc Giang province’ and proposed viable options for safeguarding
woodblock heritage including 1) content related to monuments and landscapes and 2)
content related to the conservation and promotion of woodblock heritage values.
Additionally, Lê Thọ Quốc recommended 5 solutions to prolong the life and maintain thequality and quantity of the existing woodblocks and prevent future damage to thewoodblock heritage of Từ Đàm pagoda in his scientific publication entitled ‘The processof documentation and solutions to the conservation of woodblocks of Từ Đàm pagoda– Huế city’.
Other data
Research data on ethnic minorities in Vietnam
Studies have shown that researchers have conducted in-depth analyses of issues related
to ethnic culture, cultural change, and adaptation to contemporary life. Khổng Diễn's
article ‘Some issues of belief and religion in the mountainous ethnic minority areas in
the North of Vietnam’ mentions some characteristics of traditional beliefs and current
religions. The phenomenon of an increasing number of ethnic minorities in themountainous northern area converting to and following the state-recognised religions
Catholicism and Protestantism has also been studied. Trần Đức Sáng’s study ‘"Têng ping"– tradition of the Co Tu people in Nam Đông district, Thừa Thiên Huế province’ has
identified the important role of Têng ping in the cultural life of the Co Tu people andsuggests conservation measures in accordance with the current new rural context.
Among the collected data, there are 3 articles regarding the Ha Nhi ethnic group,
including ‘Ancestral worship ritual of the Ha Nhi people and the marriage of the BlackHa Nhi people in Bát Xát district, Lào Cai province nowadays’ by Trị Thị Lan and ‘Housesof the Ha Nhi people in Huổi Luông commune, Phong Thổ district, Lai Châu province’ byNguyễn Trung Bình. Research on the cultures of the Tay, Tai, Dao, and Giay people in themountainous northern area focuses on issues such as marriage and the system of ethnic
rituals; authors of these works include Ninh Thị Thương, Hoàng Văn Hùng, Vũ Thị Uyên,and Vũ Tuyết Lan.
Studies on the cultural heritage of the Việt people
Regarding traditional art, author Nguyễn Đắc Toàn analysed the role of reputable people
in the community, as well as that of artisans and the young generation in activities for
safeguarding intangible cultural heritage. Đinh Công Tuấn, in his article entitled ‘The
relationship between craft villages and craft streets of Thăng Long – Hanoi’, describes

Sustainable Research Data Collection for ICH Safeguarding in the Asia-Pacific Region FY2019-2021 | 83the development of traditional crafts from ancient times through to the present in Thăng
Long. The development of craft villages has not only played an important role in
improving living standards, but such villages also make an important contribution to life
as a mark of national cultural traditions. Bùi Xuân Đính's ‘Researching the reburial
custom of the Việt people’ addresses some aspects of the origin of the traditional burial
practice and its influence on the present life of the Việt people as scientific evidence for
proposing solutions to the problems posed. Regarding beliefs and historical figures ofthe land, Phạm Lan Oanh, in her article entitled ‘Belief in historical figures in the cultural
space of the southwest region: Characteristics and values’ offers a thesis involving
sanctifying the biographies of historical figures in the anti-French colonialist period in
the South, in which residents invent and make holy the biographies of historical figures.
In so doing, the community engages in activities to honour their sacred heroes
consciously and willingly. This may encourage residents to express their pride in thenation's history. In this regard, author Trần Đình Hằng provided a geohistorical view of
the Quảng Nam land, associating the worship of Goddess Thu Bồn with cultural contact
and exchange in the historical process. Furthermore, author Đoàn Thị Mỹ Hương
discusses the image of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Nam Hải in her article entitled ‘The
image of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Nam Hải in the Việt people’s beliefs – A connection
between culture and heritage’. The Việt people have worshipped the Bodhisattva andconsidered her ‘a protecting goddess’ who watches over their sea trips. In the course ofhistorical development, the image of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Nam Hải has become asymbolic cultural phenomenon in the Việt people’s beliefs.
IV. Evaluation of the results collected during project implementation in the period
2019–2021
Key issues in the study of Vietnam’s intangible cultural heritage
Having examined research articles/books on Vietnam’s cultural heritage from 2016 to
2021, we realise that, in recent years, most cultural heritage research has mainly focusedon:+ Basic research on the cultural heritage of Vietnamese ethnic groups, with ethnographic
descriptions
1/ In-depth research on the rituals, crafts, folk performances, traditional festivals, etc., ofthe ethnic groups, especially of the least populous ethnic minorities, i.e. thosenumbering under 10,000 people, in Vietnam

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2/ Overview of the ethnic groups' respective cultures, including their cultural heritage+ Applied research on the intangible cultural heritage of Vietnamese ethnic groups
1/ In-depth research to recommend solutions for safeguarding intangible cultural
heritage
2/ Anthropological/visual anthropological research to propose measures of safeguarding
and promoting Vietnam’s intangible cultural heritage through such products as
academic, anthropological, and promotional films
Research trends and issues in intangible cultural heritage that need to be studied in thenext period
As previously mentioned, Vietnam is a multi-nationality country with 54 ethnic groups.
Basic studies on the cultural heritage of Vietnamese ethnic groups, therefore, will be ofgreat interest to researchers in the coming years. Studies aimed at identifying effective
solutions to promote the value of intangible cultural heritage, especially in the context oftreating culture as a driving force of development, will be prioritised. Therefore, researchon cultural heritage in the coming years will emphasise the following four aspects:
1/ To study and promote the value of intangible cultural heritage associated with socioeconomic development
2/ To study and promote the value of intangible cultural heritage in association withhuman resource development
3/ To study and promote the value of intangible cultural heritage that satisfies thespiritual life of cultural bearers
4/ To study and promote the value of intangible cultural heritage in accordance with thenational target program for building new rural areas
VI. Some proposals for the next phase of collecting data on intangible cultural heritagein Vietnam and other countries
Plan 1:- VICAS continues the task of collecting data on research documents pertaining toVietnam’s intangible cultural heritage to update the data for IRCI’s source (50 data
entries).

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- VICAS recommends that IRCI update their existing data and upload more data in theform of academic documentary films, anthropological films, and photos representing
the intangible cultural heritage of the ethnic groups of Vietnam and other countries on
the IRCI website as a means of promoting their ICH.
As for the case of Vietnam, according to the National Target Program on Culture, VICAS
has been tasked with managing, collecting, safeguarding, and promoting the intangible
cultural heritage of Vietnamese ethnic groups since 1997. After 22 years of implementing
the program, VICAS currently possesses a huge amount of data on the ICH of Vietnam’s
ethnic minorities. The data are stored at the Cultural Heritage Data Centre; they include:
Documentary films on the intangible cultural heritage of Vietnamese ethnic groups:
312,615 minutes in SD standard stored on tapes, i.e. Betacam, DVCam, SVHS, andVHS, and digital files in full HD standard
Documentary photos: 91,648 photos
Academic reports: 854 reports on the intangible cultural heritage of Vietnamese
ethnic groups, including traditional festivals, folk performances, traditional crafts, folk
knowledge, etc.
Based on the source of the materials, VICAS and IRCI can carry out post-production
activities such as filmmaking and the use of English/Japanese subtitles to promote the ICHof Vietnamese ethnic groups on the IRCI’s website.
Funding:
Financial support from IRCI to pay for film montage/editing, directing, sound, lighting,writing, the translation of captions and subtitles, and interviewing researchers
VICAS provides professional editing equipment and visual materials to produce films.
Plan 2:
Based on the 2019–2022 data, IRCI has a fairly comprehensive view of the intangible
cultural heritage in Vietnam and its member countries. IRCI has learned about the main
issues concerning countries, as well as orientations for the protection of intangible cultural
heritage in the coming years. Therefore, in addition to collecting research data on
intangible cultural heritage, IRCI should post and publish new articles about intangible
cultural heritage on the IRCI system with the following criteria set for each country:

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1/ Collect cultural heritage data (50 data entries)
2/ Reach a target of 5 new research papers for full-text publication, with the following
content:- Protect and promote the intangible cultural heritage of ethnic minorities in association
with economic and social development.
- Preserve various types of intangible cultural heritage and traditional art forms indanger of extinction, while prioritising the cultural heritage of ethnic groups numbering
less than 10,000 people.
- Promote the value of intangible cultural heritage that has been registered with
UNESCO and contribute to promoting the image of the country and people of Vietnam.
Funding:- IRCI: Financial support for data collection and the payment of royalties for 5 newly
published research papers- VICAS will respond by establishing a committee to select articles and specifying related
administrative procedures.
***
The above is a report on reviewing research issues related to the project ‘Collecting
research data on the intangible cultural heritage of Vietnam’.

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