Tac Xinh dance of the San Chay ethnic minority people in Phu Luong district, the northern province Thai Nguyen was declared a national intangible cultural heritage on October 16. Tac Xinh dance is a form of performing that has been preserved and passed on by San Chay people for generations. It expresses their gratitude to their ancestors and the spiritual connections between nature and mankind, life and death, and the old and the young, as well as stimulating the wish to control nature. The dance, popular in Tuc Tranh, Yen Lac and Phu Do communes, comprises nine patterns that feature daily life, including building houses, picking fruit, clearing land and celebrating harvests. It has been performed all over Vietnam since 1996 and won the first prize at the Vietnam Folk Songs and Dances Festival in 2013. The recognition is expected to contribute to the preservation and development of Vietnamese cultural values. (vietnamplus.vn Oct 17)
