The education sector of central Ha Tinh province plans to include Vi-Giam folk singing in primary school curriculum from the 2015-2016 academic year, as part of its efforts to preserve the humanity’s intangible cultural heritage.

Tran Trung Dung, Director of the provincial Department of Education and Training said the sector has established a steering committee for implementing the plan.

Accordingly, each of the 267 primary school in the locality will set up a Vi-Giam singing club managed by musical teachers. In near future, the traditional art genre will be taught at extracurricular activities.

This type of folk singing was officially recognised by UNESCO as part of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity at the 9th session of its Inter-governmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Paris in November 27, 2014.

It is popular in nearly 260 villages in the central provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh. The two provinces have 51 singing clubs with over 800 vocalists, many of whom are actively preserving the folk music.

There are an estimated 15 tunes of Vi and eight airs of Giam, reflecting the work, cultural life and feelings of residents in the central coastal provinces.

Vi-Giam became the ninth Vietnamese cultural practice winning UNESCO’s intangible heritage status. The other eight recognised are Hue's royal court music, Gong space culture in Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands), the northern province of Bac Ninh's love duet singing, the Giong festival, Ca Tru ceremonial singing, Xoan singing, Don Ca Tai Tu music and the worship of Hung Kings.-VNA