JAKARTA - The Ministry of Culture has determined 514 Indonesian Intangible Cultural Heritage (WBTbI) 2025, the highest jump in the history of the determination. The government emphasized that cultural heritage should not stop as an administrative list, but should provide economic and diplomatic added value.
The determination was announced at the 2025 WBTbI Appreciation at the Plaza Insan Berprestasi, Culture Ministry Complex, Jakarta, Monday, December 15. The total number of proposals that entered reached 804 from 35 provinces. After undergoing rigorous assessment, field verification, and three expert team sessions, only 514 were determined. With this addition, the number of national WBTbI since 2013 has reached 2,727.
Minister of Culture Fadli Zon emphasized that the challenge in the future is not the establishment, but the utilization. "Cultural heritage must be activated by its ecosystem. This is part of the downstreaming of Indonesia's cultural potential and soft power," he said.
At the same time, Fadli also touched on the impact of disasters in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra. The Ministry of Culture, he said, had raised funds for the repair of sites, cultural sites, museums, and to help affected cultural actors.
Director General of Cultural and Traditional Protection Restu Gunawan said the 2025 achievement was a significant leap. "This is proof of the joint work of local governments, communities, academics, and maestros. But the designation is not the end. There must be real follow-up," he said.
Restu added that all WBTbI that were set this year would be encouraged to enter the intellectual property scheme through the Ministry of Law, so that they have clear legal protection and economic value.
The appreciation of WBTbI 2025 also presents the direct practice of cultural heritage, ranging from performing arts, rituals, crafts, to gastronomy. This approach confirms a new direction for cultural policy: from symbolic preservation to strategic utilization.
"Indonesia has a very large cultural capital. It's just a matter of how the center and the regions can synchronize the rhythm," said Fadli.
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