Xoan Singing of Vietnam - Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

24November2011, Xoan Singing of Phu Tho Province of Vietnam
was inscribed by the UNESCO to the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage
of Humanity which is in need of urgent Safeguarding.  The inscription
was made at the Sixth Session of the Intergovernmental Committee
Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Heritage, which is to take
place in Bali (Indonesia) from 22November2011 to 29November2011.

As defined by the Intergovernmental Committee, the Intangible
Cultural Heritage includes traditions or living expressions inherited
from one generation to the next, such as oral traditions, performing
arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge and practices
concerning nature and the universe or the knowledge and skills required
to produce traditional crafts.

At the current session, seventy nine intangible heritage dossiers are
to be examined, which include: 18 for inscription on the List of
Intangible Cultural Heritage in need of Urgent Safeguarding; 39 for
inscription on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural
Heritage of Humanity; 12 proposals of programmes for the Register of
Best Safeguarding Practices; 4 for financial assistance; and 6 periodic
reports on the implementation of the Convention.

Xoan singing (or Hat Xoan in Vietnamese) is practiced in the first
two months of lunar year in Phu Tho Province, Vietnam. It is a kind of
performing art relating to rituals and beliefs. Besides the function of
singing for worshiping Hùng Kings, Xoan Singing also expresses dreams
about happiness and prays for good crops, good health and luck, etc. 
Xoan Folk Artists are organized into different music guilds known as
Phường. Each music guild is headed by a leader, who is referred to as
trùm. Male instrumentalists are called kép and female singers are called
đào. There are three phrases in Xoan singing procedure: worship singing
and ritual singing performed by Xoan guilds and festive singing
including the participation of villagers in love-exchange singing. Xoan
singing is accompanied by dancing and musical instrument. Up to now,
teaching and learning Xoan singing have based on oral transmission. Xoan
singing used to be in danger of suffering loss but for recent twenty
years, it has been gradually restored according to the wish and active
participation of Xoan bearers in Phú Thọ province.

Xoan Singing of Phu Tho Province presently includes: Four original
Xoan guilds in An Thái, Thét, Phù Đức, and Kim Đái in Phượng Lâu and Kim
Đức communes, 80 kilometers north-west of Hanoi. Three Xoan teams
established in 2006: one in Lâm Thao town, one in Tiên Du commune and
one in Phù Ninh commune, Phú Thọ province. Twelve Xoan clubs have been
established since 2010 with 298 practitioners from various districts,
communes and town of Phú Thọ province.

By far, the Cultural Intangible Heritage of Humanity from Vietnam includes: the Royal Music of Hue, the Space of Gong Culture in the Central Highlands, Ca Tru Singing in the northern provinces, Quan Ho Folk Songs of Bac Ninh Province, Xoan Singing of Phu Tho Province.