Keeping the flame of Xoan folk songs alive.

Artists perform Xoan singing for tourists at community tourism destinations.

This is not only about fulfilling the commitment to UNESCO, but more importantly, about making Xoan singing a true part of community life, a unique cultural and tourism product of the ancestral land.

Providing systematic training and building a strong successor team.

Immediately after the People's Committee of Phu Tho province issued the Project on preserving and promoting the value of Xoan singing for the period 2020-2025, departments, agencies, and localities developed specific plans, considering this a key political task in the province's culture.

Propaganda efforts have been intensified across all types of media, digital platforms, and social networks; more than 500 news articles, reports, and features about Xoan singing have been produced and broadcast over the past five years.

Beyond just media coverage, heritage education in schools has been widely implemented. 100% of music teachers at all levels have participated in Xoan singing training courses organized by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism; heritage content is integrated into both the main curriculum and extracurricular activities, and hundreds of Xoan singing clubs have been formed in schools.

Over the past five years, the province has organized 14 training courses in the original Xoan folk singing villages with 226 students; and one training course for aspiring artisans with 52 talented students. Training courses at schools, agencies, and clubs have been organized with nearly 1,000 participants, creating a regular and widespread workforce practicing the art.

Over the years, leadership and management of the heritage have been widely implemented down to the community level. The government has closely coordinated with artisans and the community to maintain the practice, linking preservation with traditional festival activities, creating a sustainable "cultural ecosystem" for Xoan singing.

In particular, Van Phu ward, home to four original Xoan singing groups of the province, has organized over 100 performances and cultural events at historical sites; and opened five classes to teach Xoan singing to students and youth union members, attracting approximately 250 participants. Artisan Bui Thi Kieu Nga, head of the Thet Xoan singing group, said: “Our ward regularly holds two sessions per week, focusing on training successor artisans and passing on the tradition to the community. Every summer, the classes are packed because the students are even more enthusiastic about Xoan singing than before.”

People's Artist Nguyen Thi Lich, head of the An Thai Xoan folk singing troupe, shared: "Each course lasts 10 sessions, held in the evenings because during the day the villagers are still working in agriculture."

"But it is precisely that atmosphere that has nurtured the love for Xoan singing, allowing us to see the younger generation becoming increasingly attached to this ancient song." Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Van Phu Ward, Vu Thi Thu Hang, stated: "If the government gets involved, the heritage has an administrative life; if the community is united, the heritage has a natural life. This combination creates a strong vitality for Xoan singing today."
To date, the original spaces of the four Xoan folk singing groups have been restored and renovated to a high standard, including the An Thai, Thet, Kim Dai communal houses and the Lai Len shrine. This is an important condition for fully restoring the rituals, customs, and ancient songs in the most traditional environment.

In particular, the custom of "forming bonds of brotherhood," a characteristic tradition of Xoan singing associated with the worship of Hung Kings, has been restored in five villages in the area. The restoration of this custom not only holds cultural value but also rebuilds community ties, in keeping with the spirit of ancient Xoan: "Singing to forge bonds of love and strengthen neighborly affection."

Heritage spreads throughout the community.

From 2020 to 2025, Phu Tho province organized four provincial-level Xoan singing and folk song festivals, attracting nearly 2,500 artisans and performers; and two folk art festivals during the Hung Kings' Commemoration Day - Hung Temple Festival 2024-2025, attracting thousands of tourists. Many Xoan singing performances have been incorporated into tourism activities such as "Xoan Singing in Ancient Villages," "Hung Temple Night Tour," "Heritage Night," etc., becoming special highlights for domestic and international tourists.

Over the years, the province has issued regulations on awarding the title of Phu Tho Xoan Singing Artisan; provided annual financial support to the four original Xoan singing wards, including equipping facilities, performance equipment, and exhibition spaces; and invested in infrastructure at historical sites associated with Xoan singing, with a total budget of over 1 billion VND for the period 2021-2025.

In addition, localities have mobilized social resources, such as in Van Phu, where more than 200 million VND was raised from businesses and people to purchase costumes, musical instruments, organize classes, and performance activities. Pham Thi Minh Loi, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said: “In recent years, the province has strived to make Xoan singing a distinctive tourism product of the ancestral land, creating a strong attraction for domestic and international tourists.”

"Performance spaces, exhibition areas, and historical sites associated with the original Xoan singing villages are gradually being invested in and effectively exploited, serving tourists while harmonizing the two goals of heritage preservation and community tourism development." Looking back at the period from 2020 to 2025, it can be seen that Xoan singing has not only been preserved in its original state but has also been strongly revived.

From village communal houses and schools to tourist spaces, heritage is present as a persistent "cultural lifeline." In the coming period, the province aims to build a comprehensive digital platform, expand teaching within the community, improve policies for artisans, strengthen the link between heritage preservation and tourism development, and make Xoan singing a "cultural brand" of the ancestral land.

Text and photos: NGOC LONG

Source: https://nhandan.vn/giu-lua-lan-dieu-xoan-post928325.html