Dien Bien Province has 2 more National Intangible Cultural Heritages

The art of decorating Lao costumes and the craft of making Khau Xen and Chi Chop cakes of the White Thai people in Dien Bien have been included in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

After being thinly sliced, the rice cake is dried to a moderate degree and then cut.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has just issued a decision to announce the decorative art on costumes of Lao people in Dien Bien district, Dien Bien Dong district and the craft of making Khau Xen cakes and Chi Chop cakes of the White Thai people in Muong Lay town to be included in the List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Thus, Dien Bien has 20 intangible cultural heritages included in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List.

The Lao ethnic group is one of 19 ethnic groups in the province, living in 23 villages in 9 communes of Dien Bien and Dien Bien Dong districts. Most of the brocades made by the Lao people are used in daily life, such as skirts, shirts, scarves, cushions, etc.

In recent years, realizing that brocade weaving and decoration on costumes is not only a cultural identity but also brings a stable source of income, Lao women in Na Sang village, Nua Ngam commune have together preserved and promoted the traditional craft of the nation.

For the White Thai people of Muong Lay town, Khau Xen cake and Chi Chop cake are traditional dishes often displayed on the Tet tray, a part of the unique culinary culture of Muong Lay town in particular and Dien Bien province in general.

Banh chi chop is made from sticky rice, steamed into sticky rice. When the sticky rice cools, it is rolled out thinly, dried, and then fried. Banh chi chop usually has 3 main colors: white, purple, and orange, which are the colors of gac fruit and pandan leaves.

Banh khau xen is made from glutinous rice or cassava, after grinding into flour, soaked for a few hours to soften the flour, then put in a steamer. When the sticky rice is cooked, add sesame, eggs, sugar or salt, then put in a mortar and pound until smooth, use a roller to spread the cake into thin pieces, dry until the cake shrinks, cut into desired shapes, then dry in the wind or in the light sunlight.

Colorful rice cakes are dried until crispy.

Nowadays, Khau Xen cakes and Chi Chop cakes in Dien Bien are not only dishes during Tet holidays but have become commodities sold in the market, contributing to creating more jobs, increasing income, and improving the quality of life for people.

With 19 ethnic communities living together, each ethnic group in Dien Bien has a treasure trove of culture, beliefs, and customs imbued with indigenous nuances, creating diversity and multi-color of local culture.

The continued recognition of National Intangible Cultural Heritage contributes positively to preserving and promoting the unique cultural values ​​of ethnic groups in the province and developing tourism.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/tinh-dien-bien-co-them-2-di-san-van-hoa-phi-vat-the-quoc-gia-post382803.html