Enhancing the Xoan Singing experience for students

Recently, many schools in the province have promoted organizing for students to visit, exchange and experience Xoan singing in ancient Xoan wards, thereby, educating children about protecting, preserving and promoting Xoan singing cultural heritage.

Along with the Hung King Worshiping Belief, Xoan Singing has been compiled and included in the local education program of Phu Tho province, according to the new General Education Program from the school year 2021 - 2022, contributing to equipping students with basic understanding of traditional culture and history of the nation. In particular, many schools have organized experience sessions for students to participate in Xoan singing with artisans.

In the school year 2023-2024, Hung Vuong High Quality High School, Viet Tri City organized for more than 200 primary school students to participate in the Xoan singing experience at Lai Len temple, Kim Duc commune and Hung Lo communal house, Hung Lo commune, Viet Tri City. Here, the students had a chance to visit the house displaying Xoan singing artistic heritage including a system of documents, images, artifacts, maps, scientific documentaries... At the same time, they listened to introduction, experience, and better understand the art of Xoan singing, the history of formation and existence of the heritage; felt and enjoyed Xoan singing performances, interacted with artisans, and lived in the most authentic and lively Xoan performance space...

Experience with artisan Nguyen Thi Lich

Teacher Duong Thi Binh - Vice Principal of Hung Vuong High Quality High School said: In the curriculum, the school has reserved a certain number of lessons in the Music subject, integrating them into elective lessons, collective activities or extracurricular activities to teach Xoan singing. After students take the semester exam, the school will organize for students to participate in filming a video introducing Xoan Singing in English to foreign tourists at the above two locations. To date, about 170 students have registered to participate in this program.

As an educational institution that integrates many classroom teaching activities with cultural heritage education, Viet Tri High School has many innovations in teaching methods, combining theory with practice, which is considered the clearest demonstration of the “School associated with heritage” model. The school organized for 1,000 students in grades 10 and 11 to experience Xoan singing with original Xoan ward artisans at Lai Len Temple. Besides learning and exchanging Xoan singing, students also experience competitions to learn about the heritage; thereby cultivating their love for their homeland, awareness of learning and applying what they have learned to contribute to preserving the heritage.

Teacher Pham Thi Thu Huyen - Principal of Viet Tri High School shared: From the beginning of the year, the school has built a curriculum according to local educational content and organized vocational experience activities associated with Xoan singing. From now until the end of the school year, the school will continue to organize for students to visit the Hung Vuong Museum. Here, the students will be introduced by museum guides and Xoan singing artists about the history, costumes, and directly practice the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity registered by UNESCO.

Organizing experience sessions associated with Xoan singing not only increases the practicality of teaching, but is also an effective method to educate the tradition to students. Through exchange activities, students have developed many soft skills, but above all, confidence, skills to integrate into the community and awareness of preserving and passing on the Xoan singing heritage.

Thanh Tra