Hanoi, Apr 3 (IANS): Vietnam's belief in the "Mother Goddesses in Three Realms" has been recognised by Unesco as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity, a media report said on Monday.

In a ceremony on Sunday in Nam Dinh province to mark the official Unesco certificate of recognition of the practice, Vietnamese Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien said the country will hold numerous activities to improve awareness in promoting the Mother Goddesses beliefs, Xinhua news agency reported.

The worship is based on an ancient system of beliefs in the incarnation of various deities channeled through mediums and believed to provide good health and prosperity.

Vietnam submitted the dossier on the 'Practices Related to the Vietnamese Beliefs in the Mother Goddesses of Three Realms' for Unesco recognition in 2015, but the evaluation process was delayed until the end of 2016.

Nam Dinh, some 80 km south of Vietnamese capital Hanoi, is considered the largest pilgrimage centre for those who practice Mother Goddesses worship, with 287 temples and vestiges relating to the beliefs across the province.