Xoan singing in the festival of Gia Ninh village – Phu Tho

  On 16 – 18 of June, 2009, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Phu Tho province coordinated with the Vietnamese Institute for Musicology, and the Vietnam Association of Literature to carry out a survey for setting up the file on Xoan singing of Phu Tho province to submit UNESCO to recognize as a human intangible heritage which need to be preserve in urgent.
Taking part in the survey includes Prof. To Ngoc Thanh – Chairman of Vietnam Association Literature, and Dr. Le Van Toan – Deputy Rector of Vietnam National Academy of Music.

Xoan singing, also called Khuc mon dinh (sing at communal house in village), a type of worship singing, existed from time of Hung King Dynasty. Xoan singing classified as ritual singing closes to crop festival, tutelary god of village ceremony, and Dam singing, Do singing of people in Hong delta region. Xoan singing performed in Spring to welcome new year, first in communal house then to other places with alternative singing between women and men. Evaluated as an unique and valuable heritage, but now on danger of oblivion and need to be preserve in urgent.  

Within 3 days of survey in Phuong Lau and Kim Duc commune - Viet Tri city, all researchers unanimous in setting up the file on Xoan singing major in collect, research, system, as well as in restore Xoan singing in unique. Moreover, they also are unanimous that the profile will meet requirements from UNESCO, and conformity with Phu Tho province. 

Quach Thi Sinh
(Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Phu Tho province)