Thai People’s Vong Xoe Dance

Thai ethnic minority people mostly live in the nine provinces of Son La, Lai Chau, Hoa Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Duc Trong district in Central Highlands Lam Dong province. Among those, the north western region accounts for over 60 per cent of the Thai people in Vietnam with Son La province considered the centre of the Thai group in the region.

 

The Thai people have a long-standing tradition of dances and sings which are indispensable demand of the group, particularly at their festivals. The Thai people perform songs with all their heart. Thai dances include hat dance, music dance, bamboo pole dance and Vong Xoe Thai or vong xoa. Vong xoe is a dance showing solidarity and equality. Every body can join the dance and hold hands to follow the beat of drums, flutes, gong and musical instruments.

 

A Vong Xoe needs at least 10- 15 people or even hundreds of participants. The dance can take place at houses on stilts, meeting halls or flat playgrounds. In the middle of the Vong Xoe is a Tet pole and several jars of Can wine. Each tray has a well-dressing Thai girl pour out wine participants. The participants rotationally dance and drink the jars of wine. It takes them nearly all night to drink all the jars. The Thai people often bring more jars to make the festival more exciting.

 

Vong Xoe has a regulation named "hit xe" which requires flexible movement of the participants. Each Vong Xoe is managed by a girl called “Tuon xe” who can arrange men and girls alternatively. Vong Xoe also includes Hat Xoa which has a main singer and other follows him/her. A good singer will be presented with a Can wine bottle. Sings of greeting and solidarity often opens Hat Xoa. Xoe Thai has different dances for left and right hand and vice versa and hand clapping. Vong Xoe Thai is very meaningful, simple and interesting. In all villages of the Thai people in Son La province and the North West, we can hear beat of the Vong Xoe.