UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage

Intangible Cultural Heritage was initiated in 2003 by the UNESCO (the year when Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage was passed) to recognise and protect various cultural expressions, practices, and knowledge and practices. Unlike World Heritage List, this doesn't include touchable items like buildings itself but the art, the skill, the social practices are possible to be listed here.

Intangible cultural heritage includes song, music, drama, skills, crafts, and the other parts of culture that can be recorded but cannot be touched and interacted with, without a vehicle for the culture. These cultural vehicles are called "Human Treasures" by the UN.

Many intangible cultural heritage elements are jointly nominated by multiple countries, such as .

UNESCO divides the list into three different categories:

• The representative list comprises cultural "practices and expressions that help demonstrate the diversity of this heritage and raise awareness about its importance."
• The safeguarding list is composed of cultural elements that are threatened and in need of urgent measures to keep them alive.
• The best practice list is comprised of the best examples by communities and governments of the protection and recognition of intangible cultural heritage.

See on Wikipedia for more.