At the event, officials at the Department of Cultural Heritage announced a decision to establish a steering committee for the dossier’s preparation.
Participants highlighted the artistic value of the xoe dance in the Northwestern Region and shared their experience in preparing dossiers for pieces of heritage already recognised.
Xoe dancing plays a significant role in the lives of the Thai ethnic community in the four Northwestern provinces of Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Son La and Yen Bai. It depicts the daily lives of the country’s Thai people and shows their wish for a peaceful and prosperous life.
As an important collective dance of the Thai people, Xoe comprises about 30 different dances in total.
The dance charms with its gentle and alluring rhythms. Dancers usually form a circle around a festive flame and move to the sound of melodic traditional music.
It has been named in the government’s list of intangible heritage to be submitted to UNESCO for the 2012-2016 period. It is hoped that the dance will receive UNESCO recognition in 2019.
UNESCO recognition is expected to elevate the position of the Thai people’s xoe dance to the national and international levels, thus promoting Vietnam’s traditional arts and the world’s cultural diversity.
