Before the ceremony, the delegates attended an offering ritual at Linh Son Thuy Tu Temple and Nang Han Temple at the Quynh Nhai district Spiritual and Cultural Tourism Area, which is a place to worship the mountain god, the river god and female general Nang Han of the Thai ethnic group in Quynh Nhai.

Xip xi is a traditional ritual of the White Thai people in Quynh Nhai that has existed for a long time, held on the 14th day of the seventh lunar month every year. This ritual is associated with the rice production custom of the mountainous people.

At the ceremony, the leaders of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced Decision No. 2313/QD-BVHTTDL dated August 9, 2024 of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recognising the ritual part of “Xip xi”, the New Year (Tet) Festival of the White Thai people in Son La province’s Quynh Nhai and Phu Yen districts as national intangible cultural heritage.

Speaking at the ceremony, Trang Thi Xuan, member of the provincial Party Committee’s Standing Board and Standing Vice Chairwoman of the provincial People's Committee, congratulated the White Thai ethnic community of Son La in general and Quynh Nhai district in particular on having another national intangible cultural heritage.

She requested Quynh Nhai district to continue to well implement regulations on protecting cultural heritage in the coming time; strengthen communications to raise the awareness of ethnic minorities and heritage holders to continue preserving ethnic culture and the sacred space of traditional rituals.

It is necessary to link cultural preservation with local tourism development, creating a driving force to promote the district's socio-economic development, she noted.

Immediately after the ceremony, an art programme entitled "Quynh Nhai – Illuminating the Land of Heritage" featured performances imbued with the cultural identity of Quynh Nhai district, honouring the traditional cultural beauty of the White Thai people and the cultural heritages of the Thai people in Quynh Nhai.