In the atmosphere of Hung Kings' death anniversary, Phu Tho province organizes a series of Xoan singing performances in ancient villages, creating cultural highlights to serve people and tourists, while affirming efforts to preserve and promote heritage.
According to the Organizing Committee, from April 22 - 26, 2026 (ie, March 6 - 10 of the lunar calendar), in heritage spaces such as An Thai communal house, Thet communal house, Lai Len temple, Kim Dai communal house and Hung Lo communal house, original Xoan wards will organize performances to serve tourists. Ancient Xoan melodies are performed in traditional style, recreating the cultural space of origin, according to VNA.
Lai Len Temple - considered the origin of Xoan singing - is the center of activities. The space here is associated with the belief in worshiping Hung Kings, combining activities such as festival drums, folk games, heritage exchange and Xoan singing experience "Footfish".
At Hung Lo communal house, incense offering ceremonies, palanquin processions, drumming, and bell ringing to commemorate the Hung Kings are solemnly organized, combined with heritage performances serving tourists.
The highlight is the full reproduction of traditional Xoan stages from worship singing, ritual singing to festival singing. Artisans, đào, Xoan kép directly perform, ensuring technical and formal standards. Tourists not only enjoy but also participate in learning singing, typing, and learning about heritage history.
Meritorious Artist Bui Thi Ha said: "We consider each performance not only to serve tourists but also an opportunity to preserve and pass on ancient melodies.
People's Artist Nguyen Thi Lich said that many ancient melodies such as "Mó cá", "Xin huê - Đố huê", "Trống quân đón đào" will be performed this occasion to preserve their original identity.
Within the framework of the event, the program "Van Phu - Heritage Rendezvous" takes place on April 24 and 25, 2026 at Lai Len temple and Hung Lo communal house, with experiential activities such as learning to sing, typing, folk games, contributing to enhancing the value of experience and attracting tourists.
Xoan singing dates back to the Hung Kings era, associated with ancestor worship beliefs, and is often performed at communal houses and temples to worship Hung Kings. Currently, there are 1,417 Hung Kings worshiping relics nationwide; Phu Tho alone has 326 relics, and many places maintain Xoan singing rituals.
In 2017, Phu Tho Xoan singing was recognized by UNESCO as a representative intangible cultural heritage of humanity. The province has implemented many solutions to preserve and maintain teaching activities in four original Xoan wards. In the period 2020 - 2025, dozens of teaching classes were organized for hundreds of successor artisans.
Currently, Xoan singing is practiced regularly with more than 400 members in the original Xoan wards and spread through 37 clubs with more than 1,250 members. 100% of music teachers are trained to bring heritage into schools.
Xoan singing performances during festivals not only serve tourists but also contribute to preserving and spreading heritage values, connecting communities with national roots.
