VietNamNet Bridge – The Government has allocated US$ 7.85 million in an effort to encourage artisans, amateur singers and young people in the northern province of Phu Tho to preserve xoan singing.

The move aims to exclude xoan singing from the list of UNESCO cultural intangible heritage forms in urgent need of preservation by 2015.

Under the project, a centre for training local singers will be established, researchers will work to digitalize xoan songs and traditional festivals will be restored.

Xoan singing, also known as hat cua dinh (singing at the communal house), has existed since the Hung Kings dynasty more than 2,000 years ago.

In the past, people in Van Lang nation (now Phu Tho Province) sang these songs in the spring to welcome the New Year.

Three forms of xoan singing include ritual singing to pray for good crops and health, worship singing to commemorate the Hung Kings and village guardian gods and festive singing, a form of love duet.

The art form has been granted the "world cultural heritage" title by UNESCO in November 2011.

Source: VGP