Xoe Thai seeks title of intangible cultural heritage
Authorities in the northern mountainous province of Dien Bien will implement a plan to promote the recognition of xoe Thai dance as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
A xoe dance with scarves by Thai ethnic people (Photo: VNA)
Dien Bien (VNA) - Authorities in the northern mountainous provinceof Dien Bien will implement a plan to promote the recognitionof xoe Thai dance as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage ofhumanity.
The provincial People’s Committee recently sent a document to the Government,the National Commission for UNESCO Vietnam, the National Cultural HeritageCouncil and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) to show theirdetermination to follow an assignment by the MCST on seeking the title ofIntangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity for xoe dance of theprovince’s Thai ethnic people.
In the document, the authority stated that after consulting cultural expertsabout the artistic value of xoe Thai dance, the People’s Committeepledged to embark on the construction of a national profile for the dance.
Xoe Thai art is a unique type of traditional dance that is associated withand plays a significant role in Thai communities in the northwest of Vietnam,especially in the provinces of Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Son La and Yen Bai.
It depicts the daily lives of Thai ethnic people in Vietnam and shows theirwish for a peaceful and prosperous life.
Comprising about 30 different dances in total, xoe Thai is usuallyperformed during community cultural festivals, funerals and cultural exchanges.
The dance has been developed, protected and handed down through generationsintact over hundreds of years in many different formsincluding xoe quat (xoe dance with a fan), xoe khan(xoe dance with a scarf), xoe non (xoe dance with a conicalhat) and many others with contents reflecting community activities andexpressing the Thai people’s emotion and ancestral spirits.
With gentle and alluring rhythms, dancers usually form a circle around afestive flame and move to the sound of melodic traditional music.
The elegant dance has been named on the Government’s intangible heritage listto be submitted to UNESCO in the 2012-16 period. The provinces hoped the dancewill receive UNESCO recognition this year.
The UNESCO title is expected to elevate the position of the dance to nationaland international levels, thus promoting Vietnamese traditional arts andcultural diversity.-VNA
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A xoe dance with scarves by Thai ethnic people (Photo: VNA) 
