The training course is being held by Phu Tho provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in coordination with Phu Tho provincial Department of Education and Training, to improve people’s awareness of preserving and promoting Xoan singing heritage values.

The course provides basic skills on Xoan singing performance arts, information about history of Xoan singing and helps participants distinguish between Xoan, Gheo singing and other forms of folk music.

Xoan singing, a celebrated art form in Phu Tho province which was recognised by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent safeguarding, is expected to be recognised as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity by 2017.

Over the past years, the province has taken measures to preserve Xoan singing, including restoring 19 relic sites involved in Xoan singing, putting forward policies to honour Xoan artisans, and consulting the State on designing and enforcing preservation projects to remove Xoan singing from the list of intangible heritage in need of urgent protection soon.    
Xoan singing has been taught in schools’ extra-curricular activities across the province targeting younger generations, to protect the heritage. To date, all primary, secondary and high schools in the locality have included Xoan singing lessons in their classes. This shows that bringing Xoan to schools has generated positive results./.