Female Xoan performers move gracefully in festive songs, using paper fans as props. Unlike the solemnity of ritual singing, festive Xoan has a lively, intimate tone, reflecting everyday life and romance. (Photo: VNA)The coordination between female and male performers creates a rich, integrated art form that reflects the folk cultural identity of Vietnam’s northern midland region. (Photo: VNA)Every gesture and vocal nuance is carefully honed. Xoan requires rigorous training and strong collective coordination, with younger performers learning to harmonise their movements and voices, bringing fresh vitality to traditional melodies. (Photo: VNA)A performance of the “Invitation to Wine” melody, one of the most distinctive pieces in the festive Xoan repertoire. Veteran artisans in Hung Lo are regarded as “living human treasures”, preserving the refined vocal techniques and rhythms of ancient Xoan. (Photo: VNA)A performance of the “Invitation to Wine” melody, one of the most distinctive pieces in the festive Xoan repertoire. Veteran artisans in Hung Lo are regarded as “living human treasures”, preserving the refined vocal techniques and rhythms of ancient Xoan. (Photo: VNA)
Xoan singing keeps heritage alive under ancient communal house
Beneath the roof of the ancient Hung Lo communal house in Van Phu ward, Phu Tho province, the melodies of Xoan singing continue to resonate, linking past and present. Xoan singing in Phu Tho, a folk performing art closely associated with the worship of the Hung Kings, was inscribed by UNESCO in 2017 as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, affirming its distinctive value and lasting vitality within Vietnam’s cultural life.
