Xoe Thai honoured as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
Xoe Thai is a unique type of traditional dance that is associated with and plays a significant role in the daily life of Thai ethnic communities in the northwest of Vietnam, especially in the provinces of Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Son La and Yen Bai. It is performed in various community activities, from festivals to funeral rituals. There are about 30 Xoe dances, which have been developed, protected and handed down through generations intact over hundreds of years, including xoe quat (xoe dance with a fan), xoe khan (xoe dance with a scarf), xoe non (xoe dance with a conical hat) and many others with contents reflecting community activities and expressing the Thai people’s emotion. With gentle and alluring rhythms, dancers usually form a circle around a festive fire and move to the sound of melodic traditional music. According to Tran Xuan Viet, Deputy Director of provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the art of Xoe Thai dance of the Thai ethnic people contributes to dev...