Xoe Thai Accredited as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity - Video

The art of Xoe dance of Thai ethnic minority people in Vietnam has been 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 is taking place from December 13-18

Jasmine Le

lehang1997hanu@gmail.com December 16, 2021 | 16:15

Xoe Thai Accredited as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity - Video

Celebrating the moment the art gained the UNESCO's accreditation from Vietnam (Photo: VNA)

According to the UNESCO's Intergovernmental 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, especially in the provinces of Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Son La, and Yen Bai. It is performed in various community activities from festivals to funeral rituals, VNA reported.

Ethnic women performing Xoe Thai dance (Video: Ha Giang Local)

In an interview with the Vietnam News Agency, Ambassador Le Thi Hong Van, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to UNESCO, said the accreditation is the joy and pride of the Thai community in particular and Vietnam in general.

The event affirmed the appreciation of the international community toward the Vietnamese heritage and promote Vietnam’s cultural values as well as its image of people and landscapes, she noted.

The diplomat added that the listing will create more resources for Vietnam's sustainable and inclusive development of economy and culture across localities and communities.

Van said Thai people’s Xoe dance is the 14th intangible heritage of Vietnam to obtain the UNESCO title so far.

A performance of Xoe Thai dance at the ceremony (Photo: VNA)

Communities burst with joy over the recognition

Right after UNESCO’s official recognition, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has joined Yen Bai, Lai Chau, Dien Bien, and Son La provinces to celebrate the significant event.

According to Vietnam Plus, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Dao Cuong expressed his delight and pride when the Thai people’s Xoe dance has become the 14th intangible heritage of Vietnam to obtain the UNESCO title so far.

He said this is an international affirmation and recognition of Vietnam’s rich, diverse and distinctive cultural heritage.

A performance of Xoe Thai dance in Son La Province. (Photo: Vietnam Tourism)

Echoing Cuong’s view, Secretary of the Yen Bai provincial Party Committee Do Duc Duy said the art carries a message of openness, hospitality, and solidarity. He informed that the preservation and promotion of the art have been conducted since the 1990s by authorities and Thai communities in the four provinces. They have so far established some 3,300 troupes to regularly practice the dance within the communities, and introduced it via publications and cultural projects, and at school, among other activities.

The official said after the recognition, Yen Bai will work with Son La, Dien Bien and Lai Chau to organise a ceremony to welcome the accreditation next year, implement a related action plan as committed to UNESCO, and make proposals on specific projects and plans serving the protection of the art.

Artisan Lo Van Bien from Yen Bai’s Nghia Lo township, who has spent many years researching and preserving the art, said he is filled with happiness and pride.

Expressing his gratitude toward the attention paid by the Party, State, cultural sector, and local authorities toward the conservation of the heritage, he vowed to further making contributions to the work via introducing and teaching the dance.

There are six ancient Xoe Thai dances that in each of them, the dancers showcase the distinctive cultural traits and personalities of their minorities. (Photo: gwaam)

Xoe is a joyful dance of the Thai ethnic minority in Vietnam that is often performed at important ceremonies such as festivals, Tet celebrations, and weddings. (Photo: gwaam)

There are about 30 Xoe dances, which have been developed, protected and handed down through generations intact over hundreds of years, including 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 flame and move to the sound of melodic traditional music.

Xoe dance has become a symbol of the hospitality of Thai people and an important cultural imprint of the community in the northwestern mountainous region.

The recognition of the art as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity affirms Vietnam’s diverse cultural identities as well as the close bonds of the community and the country’s respect for cultural diversity. Moreover, the title is expected to help raise the world’s awareness of the Intangible Cultural Heritages in general and the art of Xoe dance of Vietnam in particular.

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