68 new items to be listed as national heritage today
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Tomorrow 68 items from the arts, culture, food and other categories will be officially inscribed on the national heritage list.
Chai Nakhonchai, director-general of the Cultural Promotion Department, said yesterday that the move by the committee for national heritage registration is part of Thailand’s preparations for the Unesco Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Ten items from the field of performing arts will be listed such as plaeng choi, a style of singing; plaeng reua, a style of singing with both men and women singing on separate boats; and Trae Wong, a brass band.
Ten items are from the field of craftsmanship such as Nang Yai, a grand shadow play, fruits and vegetable carving, flower arrangements and Manohra folklore costumes.
Ten items are from literature such as the “Legend of Chalawan”, “Legend of Phanthai Norasing”, “Kingdom’s Art of War” and Hae nang maew, a prayer for rain.
Ten items are from sports and Thai wisdom such as boat racing and Ngu kin hang, a local traditional game.
Eight items are from social practice, rituals and festivals such as the Candle Festival, merit-making ceremony, traditional wedding and rain-making ceremony.
Ten items are from the field of knowledge, nature and cosmos such as Thai astrology, Kaeng pung pla, a fish organs curry, Thai cats, Khao tom mad, a snack made of sticky rice, and Miang kham, an appetiser made of several herbs wrapped with leaves.
Ten items are from the linguistics field such as Moken, spoken by Andaman sea gypsies in the South, Yor and Saek.
Over the past five years, some 218 items have been registered in seven fields as intangible cultural heritage.
The ceremony to declare the 68 items as natural heritage this year will be held at the Thailand Cultural Centre.
Chai has said the Intangible Cultural Heritage draft bill would soon be submitted for Cabinet to consider to support Thailand’s participation in the Unesco Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
