ICHCAP

Hanoi, November 15–16, 2025 — As part of the vibrant Thang Long – Hanoi Festival 2025, the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, in collaboration with Long Bien Ward and the Viet Nam Cultural Heritage Association, through the Center for Research and Promotion of Cultural Heritage (CCH), hosted a landmark celebration marking the 10th anniversary of the inscription of Tugging Rituals and Games on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The event brought together more than 600 tradition bearers, cultural leaders, national and international experts in a spirited tribute to this living heritage.

On the afternoon of November 15, the International Symposium “A Decade of Safeguarding Tugging Rituals and Games” convened at Long Bien Ward Hall. Organized by the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, Long Bien Ward People’s Committee, and the Cultural Heritage Association of Viet Nam, the event welcomed 250 delegates from Cambodia, Korea, and Viet Nam.

Participants included cultural authorities and local communities from Hanoi, Bac Ninh, Phu Tho, and Lao Cai; the Cambodia Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts; Dangjin City (Chungcheongnam Province, Korea); alongside UNESCO ICH experts, researchers, university lecturers, and students. Discussions focused on legal frameworks, international cooperation, and community-led safeguarding, highlighting the journey since the 2015 multinational inscription involving Viet Nam, Cambodia, Korea, and the Philippines.

The symposium concluded with a shared commitment to expanding community networks and enhancing the role of intangible cultural heritage in regional cultural exchange.

On November 16, at Tran Vu Temple in Long Bien, the celebration opened with vibrant performances by dancers and artists from Long Bien Ward, Hanoi, and Sehan University, Korea, and culminated in a dynamic performance exchange featuring over 450 tradition bearers and practitioners from ten communities in Viet Nam and Korea.

Through diverse forms of tugging rituals—each with distinct materials, postures, and symbolism—participants from nine (09) tugging rituals and games in Viet Nam and Korea (Gijisi Juldarigi) showcased the rich cultural tapestry of the element. The event underscored the vitality of Tugging Rituals and Games as both sacred rituals and festive expressions of agricultural life, fostering intercultural dialogue and pride in local identity.

The event also marked the establishment of the Viet Nam Network of Tugging Rituals and Games, announced by Dr. Le Thi Minh Ly, Deputy President of the Viet Nam Cultural Heritage Association.

Ten years since its inscription, the number of local communities practicing Tugging Rituals and Games in Viet Nam has steadily increased. These communities have actively participated in exchange and performance activities both domestically and internationally. From six (06) communities included in the original UNESCO inscription in 2015, Viet Nam now has four (04) additional communities joining the Tugging Rituals and Games network. Regardless of their participation in the UNESCO nomination, all have been actively networking, exchanging, and learning from one another at home and abroad.

A decade after its inscription on the UNESCO Representative List, Tugging Rituals and Games continue to thrive, evolving through community engagement and international collaboration.

The anniversary celebration in Hanoi not only honored the past but also opened new pathways for regional expansion, sustainable safeguarding, and cultural resonance in the years to come. The event emphasized the significance and benefits of the UNESCO joint inscription in celebrating cultural diversity, strengthening community networks, cultivating peace, and fostering prosperity for a sustainable future.