Xoan Singing of Phu Tho province will receive official recognition as an UNESCO intangible cultural heritage of humanity on January 23. (Photo: VNA) Phu Tho(VNA) – Xoan Singing of northern Phu Tho province will receive the officialrecognition as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity from UNESCO in a ceremonyat Lai Len Shrine, Viet Tri city, Phu Tho on February 3.
According to ViceChairman of the provincial People’s Committee Ha Ke San, the province will takenecessary steps to protect and tap intangible cultural values of Xoan Singingin 2018, including the provision of lessons about Xoan Singing for singers oflocal folk singing clubs, particularly children and the youth, and to promoteit at schools.
Phu Tho will alsohonour outstanding Xoan singing practitioners and repair and renovate historicrelics associated with the tradition, San said.
He stressed the needto develop a communication strategy to bring Xoan singing closer to the publicand highlight it as a local signature tourism product.
Closelylinked to the worship of Hung kings, Xoan singing is a religious practicerooted in the ancestor worship of the Vietnamese people. It is traditionallyperformed during the first two months of the lunar calendar in holy places suchas temples, sanctuaries and communal houses.
Thereare three forms of Xoan singing:worship singing for the Hung kings and village guardian spirits; ritual singingfor good crops, health and luck, and festival singing where villagers alternatemale and female voices in a form of courtship.
TheVietnamese musical tradition was inscribed on the UNESCO List of IntangibleCultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding in 2011 due to decliningappreciation of this tradition, notably among young people.
The performingart was transferred to the Representative List of the Intangible CulturalHeritage of Humanity in December 2017 in recognition for efforts by the localcommunities and the national authorities to reinforce the viability of Xoansinging.-VNA
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