Swiss yodelling joins UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list

Switzerland's iconic yodelling has been inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the United Nations announced on Thursday (December 11).

The decision was taken at the ongoing session of the Intergovernmental Committee in New Delhi.

Yodelling is the rapid alternation between chest and head voice using mostly wordless syllables and is deeply rooted in Alpine life. It is practised across Switzerland, parts of Austria and southern Germany, but Switzerland submitted the nomination alone.

The Swiss Federal Office of Culture described yodelling as "the emblematic song of Switzerland", highlighting its transmission through families, clubs, music schools and informal gatherings.

More than 12,000 singers belong to the country's 711 registered yodelling groups, united under the Federal Yodelling Association.

Performances range from solo natural yodelling, pure melody without lyrics, to structured songs with verses about nature and daily life, often accompanied by accordion or alphorn and performed in regional costumes at festivals and competitions.

Switzerland now boasts 16 elements on UNESCO's intangible heritage list, including mechanical watchmaking traditions shared with France and the Avalanche Risk Management process.

The inscription comes as countries worldwide increasingly seek to protect living traditions. China leads with 42 elements, followed by France and Türkiye.

Yodelling shares striking parallels with vocal traditions elsewhere. In China, the "throat singing" of the Tu people in Qinghai and the multi-voice "grand songs" of the Dong minority in Guizhou also use rapid voice shifts and wordless melodies to communicate across mountains and valleys. Both were inscribed on the same UNESCO list in 2009, showing how herders worldwide developed similar techniques long before modern borders existed.

Yodelling's new status ensures greater visibility and support for practitioners, helping keep the Alpine call alive for future generations.