UNESCO honors Thai Xoe art as a world heritage

The Prime Minister speaks at the ceremony to receive the UNESCO Certificate inscribing “Xoe Thai Art” on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

The event was organized by the People's Committee of Yen Bai province in coordination with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the provinces of Lai Chau, Dien Bien, and Son La. On this occasion, Yen Bai province opened the Muong Lo Cultural and Tourism Festival, exploring the special national landscape of Mu Cang Chai terraced fields in 2022.

Also attending were comrades: Tran Quoc Vuong - former Politburo member, former Standing member of the Secretariat; Tong Thi Phong - former Politburo member, former Standing Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly; Nguyen Trong Nghia - Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Head of the Central Propaganda Department; leaders of ministries, branches, central agencies, some localities, representatives of international organizations in Vietnam.

Ms. Pauline Tamesis - United Nations Resident Coordinator in Vietnam, representing UNESCO, presented the UNESCO certificate recognizing the art of Xoe Thai as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity to the representative of the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism and leaders of the People's Committees of Yen Bai, Son La, Lai Chau and Dien Bien provinces. Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

Xoe is a Vietnamese dance form with movements symbolizing human activities and is practiced in rituals, culture, life and work. Xoe is performed in rituals, weddings, traditional Muong festivals and community activities. There are 3 types of Xoe: Ceremonial Xoe, Circle Xoe and Performance Xoe.

Yen Bai Provincial Party Secretary Do Duc Duy speaks at the ceremony. Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

Xoe is practiced in Thai villages mainly in the four provinces of Yen Bai, Son La, Lai Chau and Dien Bien. The centers of Xoe can be considered in Muong Lo (Yen Bai), Muong So (Lai Chau), Muong Lay and Dien Bien Phu City (Dien Bien), Thuan Chau (Son La).

Thai communities in the provinces attended the ceremony. Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

Since 2016, the provinces of Yen Bai, Dien Bien, Son La, and Lai Chau have closely coordinated with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and relevant ministries and branches to build a dossier on "Thai Xoe Art" to submit to UNESCO for inclusion in the list of Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Art program with the theme "Thai Xoe - The quintessence of heritage land". Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

On December 15, 2021, at the 16th session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of 2003 held in Paris (France), Vietnam's "Xoe Thai Art" was officially inscribed by UNESCO on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The elaborate art program includes dance, singing, and Xoe Thai art performances performed by singers, dancers, and especially folk artists from Yen Bai, Son La, Lai Chau, and Yen Bai provinces. Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

Activities within the framework of the Reception Ceremony and Festival will take place from September 22 to 29, 2022; along with that, localities in Yen Bai have and will continue to organize many cultural and tourism activities and events in response from August to the end of December 2022.

The program ended with a performance of “The Quintessence of Xoe Art” converging unique and typical folk cultural values ​​that have become the heritage of the Thai people in the Northwest, with the participation of 2,022 artisans, mass actors and ethnic minorities from the four provinces with heritage. Photo: VGP/Nhat Bac

The ceremony included the art program “Thai Xoe – The quintessence of the heritage land” with the participation of over 3,000 artists, actors, and artisans, including the grand Xoe performance with 2,022 people.

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