Penang backs Unesco bid for Chingay parade, lion dance cultural heritage recognition

GEORGE TOWN, Nov 27 — Penang, through the State Executive Councillor’s Office for Tourism and Creative Economy, has issued a letter of support for the nomination of the Chingay parade and Lion Dance for inscription on Unesco’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

State Tourism and Creative Economy Committee chairman Wong Hon Wai said a series of workshops had been held by the Department of National Heritage, with the participation of stakeholders, to prepare the nomination documents for the Chingay parade (a joint nomination from Malaysia and Singapore) and the Lion Dance (a joint nomination from Malaysia and China).

“The state government, through the Penang Commissioner of Heritage’s Office in collaboration with the Department of National Heritage, has also conducted a workshop to help stakeholders understand the process and requirements in preparing the nomination documents,” he said.

He said this in response to a question from Wong Yuee Harng (PH-Pengkalan Kota) about the state government’s efforts to ensure that the Lion Dance and Chinese performances are included on the Unesco World Heritage list at the Penang State Legislative Assembly sitting here today.

Wong, who is the Paya Terubong assemblyman, said that in addition to Chingay and Lion Dance, Penang was also working with the National Heritage Department to nominate the Nyonya Kebaya for Unesco’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

He said that Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand jointly submitted the multi-national nomination in 2023 to inscribe “Kebaya: Knowledge, Skills, Traditions and Practices” on the UN’s prestigious intangible cultural heritage list and it is currently undergoing the evaluation process by Unesco.

Wong added that the state government supported the Baju Kebaya Exhibition, in addition to organising the International High Pole Lion Dance Competition every year in Kepala Batas, as well as the annual Chingay Parade in George Town and Butterworth. — Bernama