The event was attended by National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung, Vice National Assembly Chairpersons Tong Thi Phong and Uong Chu Luu, and Deputy Prime Ministers Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Vu Duc Dam, among others.
Vi-Giam folk singing was officially recognised by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity at the 9th session of its Inter-governmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Paris on November 27, 2014.
The honoured form of folk music is a type of singing that takes place while working. There are an estimated 15 tunes of Vi and eight airs of Giam, reflecting the work, cultural life and feelings of the people in the central coastal provinces.
It is popular in nearly 260 villages across the central provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh. The two provinces have 51 singing clubs with over 800 vocalists, many of whom are actively preserving the folk music.
The preservation of the unique art form is currently facing a number of problems since fewer people sing this genre of music and many of the documentaries detailing the singing were previously lost.
Speaking at the ceremony in Nghe An’s Vinh city, Chief Representative of the UNESCO Office Katherine Muller Marin said the report seeking the recognition showed that Vi-Giam singing meets all five criteria of a representative heritage of humanity.
UNESCO hopes that authorities and people of the two neighbouring provinces will develop measures and implement the national action program so as to further uphold the values of Vi-Giam singing, she added.
Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam said Vietnam looks forward to more cooperation and assistance from international organisations as well as further efforts made by domestic ministries and localities in protecting and promoting the country’s cultural heritage, including Vi-Giam folk singing.
Vi-Giam became the ninth Vietnamese cultural practice winning UNESCO’s intangible heritage status. The eight others are Hue's royal court music, Gong space culture in Tay Nguyen (Central Highlands), the northern province of Bac Ninh's Quan ho (love duet) singing, the Giong festival, Ca Tru ceremonial singing, Xoan singing, Don Ca Tai Tu music, and the worship of Hung Kings.
