UN feels tug of teanh prot
ppp Fri, 4 December 2015
Mom Kunthear
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| People play tug of war in Kandal province during Khmer New year in 2014. UNESCO on Wednesday granted heritage recognition to the game for its cultural importance in the South East Asia region. Photo supplied |
One
of Cambodia’s favourite popular pastimes, teanh prot, a version of tug
of war, will now be safeguarded as an official piece of world heritage
by UNESCO.
Released
on Wednesday, an updated UNESCO inventory named the Kingdom’s tradition
of playful struggle among 20 new elements on its list of items
protected by the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible
Cultural Heritage.
The
list noted the significance of the ritual, typically engaged in at
Khmer New Year in Cambodia, to other Asian farming cultures in the
region, including those in the Philippines, Vietnam and South Korea. All
play similar versions of the game in marking a new agricultural cycle
with hopes for an abundant harvest.
In
making the announcement, UNESCO explained that “cultural heritage does
not end at monuments and collections of objects. It also includes
traditions or living expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed
on to our descendants.”
Local
authorities welcomed the development, echoing the goals of the
convention, which seeks to preserve heritage in the face of rapid
globalisation and social transformation.
“We
need to take care of this game, now less popular in an age of new
technology,” said Thai Norak Satya, spokesman for the Ministry of
Culture and Fine Arts,
“We
want people today to know about our national games and are working with
UNESCO to add more things to the list,” he explained. “Personally, I am
really proud that we are bringing together humanity to value and help
protect, develop and conserve these.”
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