Efforts are being made to put the ‘culture of Myanmar’s Thanaka’ into UNESCO’s world intangible cultural heritage list, similar to the traditional Myanmar New Year Atar Thingyan festival, according to the Department of Archaeology and National Museum.

The department is making preparations to submit the ‘culture of Myanmar’s Thanaka’ to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity of UNESCO by 31 March 2025, and the Form Compilation Task Force started compiling the proposal to the nomination form (ICH-02) from 15 to 17 January.

Although Myanmar has many intangible cultural heritages, none have yet been listed as part of the World Intangible Cultural Heritage List. However, for over a thousand years, using Myanmar’s Thanaka as the traditional customs and practices have been passed down through generations, and today, the art of Myanmar’s traditional Thanaka remains a significant cultural symbol of the nation and is preserved with care.

Myanmar’s Thanaka was proposed for inclusion in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list starting in January 2020, as it aligns with the five criteria for designation as an Intangible Cultural Heritage.

ASH/TTA

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