In this chapter, the definition of intangible cultural heritage as employed in the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage is introduced. Intangible cultural heritage as the living heritage of communities and groups, which has been at the heart of the social and cultural identities of the community members, is discussed with relevant cases, illustrating the different domains. The chapter also addresses how intangible cultural heritage has been transmitted from generation to generation while being constantly recreated, thereby enriching human creativity and cultural diversity. Learners are encouraged to think of many possibilities in which people living in different contexts - rural, urban, industrialized – in today’s globalized interdependent world continue to transmit their living heritage in many creative manners. This will lead to a discussion on the relevance of intangible cultural heritage in the contemporary world.

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