Xoe dancing, an indispensible activity in the cultural life of theTay ethnic people in Ta Chai commune, Bac Ha district, northern Lao Caiprovince, has been listed as a national intangible cultural heritage.

The People’s Committee of Bac Ha district held a ceremony on March 4 to receive the honour.

As spring approaches, the Bac Ha plateau is flooded with white plumflowers and crowds of local and international visitors to enjoy xoedancing to the sounds of boisterous musical instruments.

Artist Lam Van Sun said the dance was traditionally performed for theHoang A Tuong family – the richest and most powerful in the Bac Hamountainous area.

Nowadays, it has become a vital activity in Ta Chai and Na Hoi commune festivals.

The Ta Chai xoe festival is normally organised on the occasion of theNew Year to pray for strong crops and good health. The whole communityis familiar with the dance, Sun said.

Director ofthe provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Huu Sonsaid xoe is the result of interactions with the French valse.

When the French created the dancing teams for the Hoang A Tuongpalace, they unintentionally brought the valse rhythm to xoe dancing,differentiating it from the Muong xoe and Thai xoe.

Chairman of the Ta Chai communal People’s Committee Vang Van Khuong saidto preserve and promote xoe dancing, the commune will establishadditional xoe troupes and bring it to schools while developing thedance through the promotion of community tourism.

So far, Ta Chai has five xoe troupes in Na Kim, Na Pac Ngam, Na Lo, Na Lang and Na Ho hamlets, each with 12 to 15 members.

The Bac Ha district has over 30 xoe dancing troupes in total. Thedance is also popular in Na Hoi, Lau Thi Ngai, and Nam Khanh communes.

In the future, Tay xoe dancing is expected to become a strong suit of the local tourism industry.

Also at the ceremony, the Ta Chai commune received a certificate recognising it as a new-style rural area in 2014.-VNA