Thai winter shade Gong may be listed as the intangible cultural heritage of mankind

Thailand's Tom Yum Kung, or hot and sour Thai shrimp soup, is expected to be listed as an intangible cultural Heritage of humanity by UNESCO.

UNESCO's Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage is meeting in Paraguay's capital Asuncion this week to decide whether to add Dong Yin Gong to the list of intangible cultural Heritage of humanity, the Bangkok Post reported.

Thailand's Minister of Culture Sudaravan said that on March 23, 2021, the Thai Cabinet approved the proposal of the Ministry of Culture for the designation of Dong Yin Gong as a world heritage site.

She says the healthy shrimp soup represents the simple and self-reliant lifestyle of Thais, especially those living in farming communities near rivers or canals in the Central Plains region.

Shrimp is river fresh that can be caught from rivers or canals, and other key ingredients such as galangal, citronella, bodhi leaves, chilies and limes are grown in the gardens of most Thai homes.

Thai authorities will hold an event at EmQuartier, a Bangkok shopping mall, on Friday (December 6) to celebrate the success of Dong Yin Gong.

In addition to Winter Yam Gong, UNESCO has added four of Thailand's cultural heritage sites to its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, including Kon Mask Dance, Nola dance, Thai massage and Songkrunning.

In addition, Thailand, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore have joined forces to apply to UNESCO for the inclusion of traditional clothing kebaya on the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.