The highlight of the event is the synchronised performance of over 2,200 local students at four locations in the centre of Điện Biên Phủ City - 7/5 Square, the Victory Monument, the Victory Monument (D1 Hill), and the Điện Biên Phủ City Square.

It is among activities celebrating the National Tourism Year– Điện Biên 2024, organised by the Department of Education and Training in collaboration with the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Điện Biên Province. 

It kicked off with the performance of the Education and Training Department of Điện Biên District at the 7/5 Square on April 7. Over 200 students, dressed in traditional costumes representing various ethnic groups in the province, joined traditional xòe dance to the distinctive musical accompaniment of the xòe. They also performed songs that praise the land and people of Điện  Biên.

Nông Thị Hồng Hạnh, an official from the Education and Training Department of Điện Biên District, said: “Our department participated with over 200 students in three categories - traditional xòe dance, creative xòe dance and street dance.

“Through these performances, we showcased the diverse beauty of the local ethnic groups such as Thái, Mông, Kinh and Lao in the area. This activity provided the students with an enjoyable and enriching playground where they could learn and explore traditional culture, contributing to the dissemination of the values and cultural diversity of the local ethnic groups,” she added. 

Dressed in a white áo dài (Vietnamese traditional long dress), Trần Thị Diệu Linh, a student from Class 11B6 at Điện Biên Phủ City High School, joined 600 other students in a synchronised street dance performance at the Victory Monument. 

"I am very happy and proud to be a part of this event. In our traditional costumes representing different ethnic groups, my friends and I showcased the distinctive group dances and movements of our region, the northwest, and the traditional culture of Vietnamese ethnic groups. 

“We hope to contribute in our small way to spreading the beautiful image of Điện Biên’s land and its people even further,” she said.

According to Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training, Cù Huy Hoàn, the dance competition and outstanding performances are meaningful activities to celebrate the significant national and provincial holidays in 2024, especially the 70th anniversary of the Điện Biên Phủ victory. 

The competition was a great success, attracting the participation of a large number of local students, and it will become a regular activity from elementary to high school and college. 

The outstanding performances in the competition further enhanced and brought traditional and modern xòe dances to a wide audience of young people.

“The organisation of the competition is within the project 'Conservation and promotion of the values of folk songs, folk dances and folk music of ethnic minorities linked to tourism development in the 2022-2030 period in Điện Biên Province'.

“This initiative is hoped to strengthen and promote cultural and artistic activities, preserve traditional culture within educational institutions, and contribute to the introduction and promotion of local cultural heritage, attracting tourists to Điện Biên and promoting the province's tourism development,” he noted.

The xòe Thái folk dance was added to the list of Intangible Cultural Heritages of Humanity by the United Nations' cultural agency UNESCO in 2021.