How to classify intangible cultural heritage

      Ideas were recently floated on classifying intangible cultural heritage by the public and the law makers.
The public considered it necessary to classify intangible cultural heritage, which covers such things as special dances, ethnic music and special art, throughout the country, but the law makers decided evaluating and listing were sufficient with classification.
The National Assembly (NA) passed some amendments to the law on Cultural Heritage on June 18. In brief, it states the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism will compile, issue certifications and approve a list of national intangible cultural heritage.
Le Thi Minh Ly, deputy head of the ministry’s Cultural Heritage Department, discusses the matters.
Q: How do you think of the NA’s decision to list but not classify intangible cultural heritage?
A: The decision to not classify heritage is correct under the UNESCO Convention 2003 on protecting intangible heritage.
After listening to some NA deputies and the public, the NA Standing Committee proposed the State issues a certification to denote an intangible cultural heritage is on a national list.
The decision to issue certifications meets the public’s desire to praise local heritage.
What criteria should a heritage meet to make the list and is it different than for national relic sites?
In order to list the national heritage, we have to evaluate and classify the heritage according to heritage forms, ethnic minority groups or geological areas and compile a scientific file to submit to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Each heritage form could have a special criteria. There are some basic criteria, including special features identified by the community and the liveliness and creativeness which has been handed down through generations. Measures taken to protect the heritage will also be taken into account.
It’s obligatory for a community to voluntarily propose the heritage for the list and commit to protecting the heritage.
Q: Is certification accompanied with regulations on managing and protecting the heritage, or the rights of the intangible heritage?
A: A special feature of intangible heritage is it is being frequently practised through generations and may be moved to another location.
That’s why we can’t circle a protection zone for it like that for a relic site. The principles for protecting intangible heritage are the same as those for protecting relics but the measures for intangible heritage are different and more difficult.
The most important protection for intangible heritage is people’s awareness of its value, their desire to retain it and how they will work to achieve the goal.
The community’s role is a crucial. The revised law says heritage may be removed from the national list if it no longer meets the criteria.
Q: What has the department done to evaluate and list national intangible cultural heritage and when will the list be published? Can communities submit a list to the ministry or do they wait for cultural officials to examine the heritage?
A: Last year, the department evaluate some lists of intangible heritage compiled by such bodies as the institutes of Literature and Arts, Culture Research and Musicology and Viet Nam Museum of Ethnology, and authorities in provinces like Thai Binh and Phu Tho.
Through the process, we realised there should be agreement on implementation methods and an exchange of experiences among agencies according to international regulations.
Our sector has finished drafting a document and is working to complete it according to the revised law. After the law is enacted, the document will be issued.
We won’t re-evaluate all heritage but update existing lists. Based on the lists, local authorities will be encouraged to compile a file to submit to the ministry. From the proposals, a national list will be compiled. The National Heritage Council will consult the ministry on the final list.
We appreciate the co-ordination and active interest of localities throughout the country and hope the list be available by the end of next year.
The list will be checked and frequently updated. There should be agreement within a community. The State will sponsor examination costs and cultural managers and specialists will help finalise scientific files for submission.
Q: It has been suggested the department establish a website or a special epage to publicise the list. What do you think?
A; That’s a great idea. We have a website on cultural heritage, which contains a poor section on intangible cultural heritage.
The suggestion encourages us to improve the site to provide the public with all worthwhile information.