On a mission to defend its reputation as the “land of martial arts”, the central province of Gia Lai is putting the finishing touches on a bid to win UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity status for Binh Dinh traditional martial arts.
Nguyen Thi Thanh Lich, Vice Chairwoman of the provincial People’s Committee, said Binh Dinh martial arts are the beating heart of Vietnam’s centuries-old martial tradition. Many of the country’s most iconic forms and techniques were born on this soil, forging a one-of-a-kind blend of history, culture and artistry that has immeasurable national value.
The paperwork, she said, has been painstakingly pieced together and backed by science and real-world proof. Once it checks every UNESCO box, Vietnam expects to present the nomination at the Inter-Governmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage session slated for China in late 2026.
Binh Dinh has already mapped out a 2026-2030 plan to keep its fighting spirit breathing, complete with specific targets and a clear step-by-step timeline.
Under that blueprint, martial arts masters, devoted practitioners and local schools have been named keepers of the flame. Binh Dinh will roll out a package of support policies to keep those schools operating, request masters pass down their hard-won knowledge, train the next generation and keep the traditional techniques that communities have guarded for generations.
For its part, Gia Lai wants to grow traditional martial arts into more than just a competitive sport. It’s aiming for a full-on community cultural movement. The art is already woven into local school curricula, helping kids build strength while soaking up the history of Tay Son land, its warrior code and cultural identity.
A UNESCO accreditation would unleash a new surge of energy for local culture, tourism and sports. The nomination push has already laid the tracks for a long-haul strategy to protect the tradition’s core values for future generations, keeping the heritage alive in the neighbourhoods that raised it while beaming it out to audiences around the world.
To boost the UNESCO pitch, the provincial authorities hosted the ninth International Festival of Vietnamese Traditional Martial Arts – Gia Lai 2026 from August 2-5 in Quy Nhon ward and surrounding areas. The event drew 16 foreign delegations from nine countries, 43 domestic squads and 11 local clubs./.
