International scientific conference "Protecting and promoting intangible cultural heritage and traditional martial arts of Binh Dinh"

Scene of the conference.

Attending the conference were comrades: Hoang Dao Cuong - Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Nguyen Tuan Thanh - Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; representatives of units under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

Attending the conference were also scholars, scientists, researchers from UNESCO Committees, domestic and international cultural heritage experts; grand masters, martial arts masters, Federations, Martial Arts Associations, and sects in the province, outside the province and internationally.

Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Tuan Thanh spoke at the workshop.

Speaking at the workshop, Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Tuan Thanh said that from a very early age, the government and people of Binh Dinh have always cherished, preserved, and maintained the cultural values ​​of Binh Dinh Traditional Martial Arts. Binh Dinh Province has issued and implemented the Project on Preserving and Promoting Binh Dinh Traditional Martial Arts; accordingly, it has provided funding to maintain, transmit, and develop typical martial arts schools and martial arts clubs; organized the compilation and introduction of traditional martial arts into teaching in schools, creating conditions for the development of mass physical education and sports; thereby, searching for and discovering young talents to promptly nurture, train, and bring them into the provincial teams.

 In addition, the People's Committee of Binh Dinh province has directed the Department of Culture and Sports to coordinate with relevant sectors to conduct surveys and collect martial arts exercises, weapons, portraits of late martial artists and outstanding martial artists at martial arts schools in and outside the province; successfully organized 08 International Festivals of Vietnamese Traditional Martial Arts, the first of which was held in 2006, which has made an important contribution to the work of preserving, promoting and introducing traditional martial arts to a wide audience at home and abroad. With the efforts of the province and the consensus of the people; in 2012, Binh Dinh Traditional Martial Arts was recognized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a national intangible cultural heritage.  According to the Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Tuan Thanh, this Workshop is a very important basis for Binh Dinh province to complete the scientific dossier "Binh Dinh Traditional Martial Arts" to submit to UNESCO for inclusion in the list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity in order to minimize the risk of the heritage being lost, ensuring the vitality of the heritage for the present, the future and for the sustainable development of Binh Dinh Traditional Martial Arts. In addition, the Workshop is also an important academic forum for domestic and foreign experts and scientists to clarify scientific issues on Traditional Martial Arts and other scientific issues related to Traditional Martial Arts from the perspective of intangible cultural heritage. With the highest goal of protecting and promoting the value of Traditional Martial Arts heritage in general and Binh Dinh Traditional Martial Arts in particular from the perspective of intangible cultural heritage; aiming to mobilize the active participation of the heritage practicing community, minimizing the risk of the heritage being lost.

The Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee expressed his belief and hope that through this workshop, international and domestic experts and scientists will have the opportunity to understand more about the unique features of Binh Dinh's culture, history, nature and people.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong delivered the opening speech at the workshop.

In his opening speech, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong said that Binh Dinh's traditional martial arts, with its historical, cultural and philosophical depth, is one of the intangible heritages that need to be identified, protected and promoted. Binh Dinh's traditional martial arts is not only a martial art, but also the crystallization of the martial spirit, self-reliance and noble culture of behavior of the Vietnamese people. The martial arts exercises, martial arts moves, martial arts medicine and martial arts are passed down from generation to generation, deeply expressing the identity of the land and people of Binh Dinh.

 According to Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong, the International Conference "Protecting and Promoting Intangible Cultural Heritage and Traditional Martial Arts of Binh Dinh" is an opportunity for international and domestic scientists to identify the value of intangible cultural heritage in general, and Binh Dinh Traditional Martial Arts in particular, and to complete the dossier of Binh Dinh Traditional Martial Arts to submit to UNESCO for inclusion in the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Building a dossier of martial arts to submit to UNESCO for inclusion is a national task, not only aiming to protect heritage for current and future generations, but also an opportunity to introduce the quintessence of Vietnamese culture to the world, affirming the position of Binh Dinh in particular and Vietnam in general on the global cultural heritage map.  The Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism said that the construction of a dossier to register Binh Dinh Traditional Martial Arts on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity will bring great pride, and at the same time put on our shoulders the responsibility of protecting and promoting the heritage in a sustainable manner. As a cultural management agency, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will closely coordinate with authorities at all levels, the subject community, and domestic and foreign experts to carry out this important task.

International experts and speakers attended the Workshop.

At the workshop, experts, scientists and speakers frankly exchanged, shared their enthusiasm and experiences to clarify the key contents. The workshop also received the attention and support of researchers, martial artists and people knowledgeable about intangible cultural heritage and traditional martial arts from both domestic and international sources.  The Organizing Committee has selected 52 outstanding presentations that meet the objectives and content of the conference, and have theoretical and practical value in preserving and promoting the heritage of Binh Dinh Traditional Martial Arts in particular and intangible cultural heritage in general. The presentations focus on 5 main groups of issues: Binh Dinh Traditional Martial Arts from the perspective of intangible cultural heritage; Binh Dinh Traditional Martial Arts - local identity, transformation and integration; Protecting and promoting the heritage of Traditional Martial Arts in the contemporary context; Lessons from other countries on protecting and promoting heritage; Protecting and promoting intangible cultural heritage.

Delegates take souvenir photos at the Conference.