The Committee

1. Takes note that Viet Nam has nominated Festival of Bà Chúa Xứ Goddess at Sam Mountain (No. 01999) for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity:

The festival of Bà Chúa Xứ Goddess at Sam Mountain takes place from the 22nd to the 27th day of the fourth lunar month. Observed by the Kinh, Khmer, Cham and Hoa communities in Châu Đốc city, it entails performing religious ceremonies and music and dance to express gratitude to the Mother Earth goddess, who is believed to grant protection and promote prosperity, health and peace. Some key components of the festival include a palanquin procession, a bathing ceremony to change the clothes and jewelry of the statue of the goddess, and the preparation and presentation of offerings. A management board is nominated to coordinate the festivities, and each community contributes to a key component of the event. This collaborative approach underscores the cultural integration and harmony of different communities that share a geographic location and similar beliefs. The rituals and customs of the festival are transmitted within families and communities through hands-on practice and participation in the festival. A source of cultural exchange and social cohesion, the festival of Bà Chúa Xứ Goddess at Sam Mountain is also an opportunity to transmit common values, celebrate the role of women in society, and commemorate the contributions of ancestors to the nation’s history.

2. Considers that, from the information included in the file, the nomination satisfies the following criteria for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity:

R.1:   The Festival of Bà Chúa Xứ Goddess at Sam Mountain is observed by the Kinh, Khmer, Cham and Hoa communities in Châu Đốc city. The element entails performing religious ceremonies and music and dance to express gratitude to the Mother Earth goddess. Rituals, customs and ritual practice skills associated with the element are transmitted within families and communities through word of mouth, hands-on practice and participation in the festival. The festival fosters cultural exchange, community cohesion and ethnic harmony, while also serving as a means of highlighting the important role of women in society, and the contributions of ancestors to the nation’s building.

R.3:   The State proposes safeguarding measures that include efforts on behalf of community members to practise and transmit the element and conscientiously teach the related knowledge to children in the family and members of the community. The festival has been included in teaching resources in local high schools, and union managers encourage local people and artisans to participate in and help organize the event. Publications, films, and research and documentation projects continue to promote and disseminate the element to the wider public. The Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism supports communities in restoring and revitalizing the spaces for practising the element.

R.4:   Ho Chi Minh City University of Culture worked with artisans and community representatives to develop the nomination file. Meetings were held involving representatives from the Kinh, Hoa, Khmer and Chăm communities. The community representatives developed safeguarding plans, provided data about ritual objects, nominated the element and provided other required documentation including videos, photos and consent letters. The nomination file submitted letters of consent from the various communities concerned.

R.5:   The element is listed on the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage and the Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Cultural Heritage Data Bank at An Giang, maintained by the Department of Cultural Heritage, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The national inventory is updated every year in coordination with community representatives and artisans. Information about the community-based inventorying process is included in the periodic report.

3. Further considers that, from the information included in the file and the information provided by the submitting State through the dialogue process, the nomination satisfies the following criterion for inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity:

R.2:   The element contributes and is linked to quality education, gender equality, inclusive economic development, environmental sustainability and climate action, and peace and social cohesion. For example, the element contributes to the social cohesion of ethnic communities in Viet Nam and promotes cultural respect while expressing people’s common aspiration for a healthy, prosperous and peaceful life. It also encourages the participation of people of all genders, without discrimination, thereby promoting gender equality.

4. Decides to inscribe Festival of Bà Chúa Xứ Goddess at Sam Mountain on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity;
5. Reminds the State Party to avoid the use of standardized letters of consent and to ensure the free, prior and informed consent of the communities concerned.