A Xoan singing performance in Phu Tho province (Photo: Dinh Vu/chinhphu.vn) |
After four years of being listed as in urgent need of protection, Vietnam last year submitted a report to UNESCO stating that xoan singing has seen a revival thanks to the great efforts made by Phu Tho province.
However, Vietnam is still awaiting guidance from UNESCO as to how to reclassify Xoan singing as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
Xoan singing is practised in front of communal halls at spring festivals. It is said to have appeared about 4,000 years ago, during the time of the legendary Hung Kings.
A Xoan singing performance in Phu Tho province (Source: baophutho) |
After being listed as a world’s intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent protection, Phu Tho made great efforts to preserve and revive the old genre of singing.
In 2010, there were 13 Xoan singing clubs with nearly 300 members in Phu Tho. After a concerted effort, by the 2015 there were as many as 30 clubs across the province with over 1,000 regular members, and hundreds of others interested in joining. The number of artisans that can teach old Xoan singing tunes has increased to 62 from only 7.
Over the past years, Phu Tho province has taken measures to preserve Xoan singing, including restoring 19 relic sites involved in Xoan singing, putting forward policies to honour Xoan artisans, and consulting the State on designing and enforcing preservation projects to remove Xoan singing from the list of intangible heritage in need of urgent protection soon.
Teaching class and practice Xoan singing in 2016 (Photo:dukhach.net) |
The provincial People’s Committee has prepared a 165 billion VND (7.85 million USD) project, entitled: “Maintaining and Developing Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity - Xoan Singing in Phu Tho in 2013-2020,” funded by the Government.
At present, with the achieved results, Xoan singing has qualified conditions to propose UNESCO to recognize as intangible cultural heritage of humanity. Managing, preserving and promoting the value of cultural heritage - Xoan singing of Phu Tho depend on the people’s knowledge, awareness and responsibilities to the community. Xoan singing associated with Worship of Hung Kings is a significant factor in the spiritual life of ethnic minorities in Vietnam. /.
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