Xoe dance dossier for UNESCO recognition prepared

The Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism and the People’s Committee of Yen Bai province on October 26 jointly held a conference to build a national dossier on Xoe dance of Thai ethnic people to submit for UNESCO recognition as an intangible heritage of humanity.

At the event, officials of the Department of Cultural Heritage announced a decision to establish a steering committee for the dossier preparation.

Participants highlighted the artistic values of Xoe dance in the northwestern region and shared experience in preparing dossiers for the already recognised heritages.

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 ethnic 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 in the sound of melodic traditional music.

It has been named in the government’s intangible heritage list to be submitted to UNESCO in the 2012-2016 period. The dance is hoped to receive UNESCO recognition in 2019.

UNESCO recognition is expected to elevate the position of the Thai people’s Xoe dance to national and international levels, thus promoting Vietnamese traditional arts and the world’s cultural diversity.