The Field Survey Project on the Traditional Tug-of-War in South East Asia was successfully completed on April 2013. The Project was funded by Dangjin City and initiated in January of 2013 by the International Information and Networking Centre for Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Asia-Pacific Region under the auspices of UNESCO (ICHCAP). The purpose of the project was data collection on tug-of war, a seasonal custom from agricultural societies in the Asia-Pacific region, protection of traditional tugof-war’s, and to create the basis for comparative research and transmission of the custom.

Tug-of-war is a cultural phenomenon found worldwide. In Asia, tug-of-war has been a custom deeply embedded in rice cultivation and is therefore found largely in agricultural societies in East Asia and South East Asia. Generally tug-of-war was performed as a prayer for rain or to predict the bounty of the upcoming harvest and has common features worldwide in keeping with climate and environment. However differences arise with the distinct and unique characteristic, and the creativity of the region, which makes tug-of-war a worthwhile subject of research as Asia’s joint heritage.