Vietnam's Saint Giong Festival receives UNESCO cultural heritage status

Vietnam’s Saint Giong Festival was among 46 other candidates recognised as world intangible cultural heritages on November 16.

By now Vietnam has had 6 world intangible cultural heritages.

The Saint Giong Festival is a unique tradition in Vietnam, held annually from the 6th-12th of the fourth lunar month at Phu Dong Temple (in Gia Lam District) and Soc Temple (Soc Son District) in Hanoi. The festival commemorates the legendary folk hero who grew from a three-year-old child into a giant overnight to help drive out invaders from the country.
The festival is a chance for visitors to watch the performance of traditional rituals and artistic activities which have been handed down from generation to generation.
The list of 47 new world intangible cultural heritages were announced at the 5th section of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritages in Nairobi, Kenya.
Among 147 nominations from 32 countries for recognition as world intangible cultural heritage status were submitted to UNESCO in 2010, 54 were selected for the 2nd round.
However, at the meeting held in Nairobi from November 15-19, only 47 nominations from 29 countries won the recognition. These new world intangible cultural heritages include 6 traditional handicrafts, 12 festivals, 6 traditional know-hows, 20 performing arts, and 3 traditional cuisines.
By now, 212 heritages from 106 countries have been recognised as world intangible cultural heritages. Vietnam has 6 heritages on this list. They include: Hue royal court music, Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands) gong culture, the Bac Ninh love duet singing, the Thang Long Royal Citadel, the 82 doctoral stone steles in the temple of literature and now, the Saint Giong Festival.