Xoe Thai dance receives UNESCO certification with impressive performance

The stage décor for the art programme to honour Xoe dance of the Thai ethnic group (Photo: Newday Media)

Hanoi (VNA) – A ceremony to receive a UNESCO certification of the Thai Xoe dance art as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity will be held on September 29 at Nghia Lo stadium, northern Yen Bai province, home to a large community of the ethnic group.

The event will be held by the People Committee of Yen Bai province in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the northern provinces of Lai Chau, Dien Bien, and Son La.

Themed “Xoe Thai - The quintessence of the heritage region”, the ceremony will launch the 2022 Muong Lo Cultural Tourism Festival.

Following the ceremony, an art programme will be staged to display the charm of Xoe Thai dance and honour the value of the art genre of the Thai ethnic group in the northwest region, said the programme's general director Le Hai Yen.

General director Le Hai Yen on the art performance at a press conference held at the Yen Bai provincial People’s Committee (Photo: Vietnamplus)

The art programme will be like a special epic with majestic scenes, telling the unique story of the history, people, and culture of the Thai people.

Yen said that daily items in the Thai people’s life such as rice, bamboo and agricultural tools will be used for the performance instead of ordinary stage props.

The projection screen technology, 3D mapping, and modern laser lights will complement the performance, Yen told VietnamPlus.

Composer Manh Tien, the music director of the programme, said that 90% of the music in the performance is songs with local Thai language, aiming at honouring Thai culture. The programme has Vietnamese subtitles for the audience to understand the artistic content.

According to Vu Thi Hien Hanh, Vice Chairwoman of the People Committee of Yen Bai province, activities within the framework of the festival will take place from September 22 – 29, including street performances, photo and exhibitions, an OCOP product fair, a paragliding festival, a marathon competition, and Mong khen (pipe) festival.

The Xoe dance of the Thai ethnic group was listed as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity at the 16th session of the UNESCO's Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which took place from December 13-18. It is the 14th intangible cultural heritage of Vietnam recognised by UNESCO.

According to the committee, the art meets all of the five criteria set by UNESCO.

Xoe Thai is a unique type of traditional dance that is associated with and plays a significant role in the daily life of Thai ethnic communities in the northwest of Vietnam. The art form is localised in the four provinces of Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Son La, and Yen Bai. It is performed in various community activities, from festivals to funeral rituals.

The Xoe dance involves people holding hands and performing six traditional acts, including welcoming, clapping hands, waving scarves and offering wine.

There are about 30 Xoe dances which have been developed, protected and handed down through generations, still intact after hundreds of years. These dances include Xoe quat (Xoe dance with a fan), Xoe khan (Xoe dance with a scarf), Xoe non (Xoe dance with a conical hat) and many others with contents reflecting community activities and expressing the Thai people’s emotion. With gentle and alluring rhythms, dancers usually form a circle around a festive fire and move to the sound of melodic traditional music./.