In an important move to protect Sikkim’s cultural heritage, the Government of Sikkim and UNESCO have come together to preserve and promote the traditional Lepcha cane bridge, known as Ru-Soam.
This unique bridge-making technique, which uses natural materials like wild cane and bamboo, is still practised by the Lepcha community in the Dzongu Tribal Reserve, located within the Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve in the northeastern state.
A meeting to discuss this effort was held at the Tashiling Secretariat and was led by Sikkim’s Minister for Science and Technology, Pintso Namgyal Lepcha. Experts, local artisans, and cultural leaders gathered to share their knowledge about the Ru-Soam and highlight its importance as an eco-friendly and disaster-resilient structure.
UNESCO’s Regional Director, Tim Curtis, attended the meeting virtually and praised the initiative. He assured support in documenting the tradition and helping it gain international recognition in line with UNESCO’s global standards. The meeting was organised by the Intellectual Property Rights Section of the Department of Science and Technology.
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Scholars from the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology and artisans from Dzongu added depth to the discussion by sharing personal stories and traditional knowledge. The bridge is seen not just as a means of crossing rivers, but as a symbol of sustainable living and indigenous engineering.
UNESCO’s Chief of Natural Sciences, Dr. Benno Boer, is expected to visit Sikkim in May to take this project forward.
Officials say that this partnership is a strong step toward protecting Sikkim’s intangible cultural heritage. With efforts now underway to properly document, digitally archive, and celebrate the Ru-Soam, Sikkim’s age-old wisdom is being brought to the global stage.
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