(VOVworld) - A Cultural Camp and Festival of Xoan and Phu Tho folk singing officially opened in the Hung Kings Temple relic site on Sunday to honor Xoan singing, a World Intangible Cultural Heritage in need of urgent safeguarding.

Memorial flags are presented to art troupes joining the festival (Photo:qdnd.vn)

The singing festival, which is part of the 2013 Hung Kings Temple Festival, creates an opportunity for the northern midland province of Phu Tho to evaluate its efforts to collect, study, and restore Xoan tunes at Xoan clubs. To date, 11 of Phu Tho’s 30 communal houses, which are spaces for Xoan performance, have been recognized as provincial or national cultural relics. The provincial Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism has worked with scholars and musicians to research, compile, and publish 4,000 CDs and 3,000 books featuring Phu Tho’s Xoan singing. The provincial People’s Committee is working on regulations to grant the title of Xoan artisan, bring Xoan singing to schools, and preserve relic sites related to this intangible cultural heritage.