Each year, the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism sets forth a plan on intangible cultural heritage inventory and documentation, and organises training classes for officials in charge of intangible cultural heritage inventory.

The department has coordinated with localities in inventorying intangible cultural heritages of the nine ethnic groups of Thai, Mong, Muong, Dao, Kho Mu, Xinh Mun, Khang, La Ha, and Lao. They are classified into the seven groups as identified by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism: voice and script; folk literature; folk performing arts; social customs; traditional festivals; and traditional crafts; and folk knowledge. As many as 1,517 inventory sheets and 143 inventory lists have been created so far. In addition, the documents were recorded, videotaped, audiotaped, and investigated through questionnaires.

Pham Hong Thu, Deputy Director of the department, said the inventory work has helped evaluate the current status of preserving and promoting the intangible cultural heritages of the ethnic groups, and learn about their aspirations in protecting and promoting their cultural heritages.

She also highlighted the importance of the communications work to raise public awareness of the heritage values, raising their pride, and encouraging them to play a role in the effort.

The province boasts "Thai Xoe” dance included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity; and 17 heritages in the national list, including Thai Xoe dance; ancient Thai ethnic script; Het Cha Festival of the White Thai people in Ang hamlet, Dong Sang commune, Moc Chau district; Mong ethnic flute art; family worshiping and patterns on Mong costumes; the “cap sac” (maturity ritual) of the Dao ethnic group; patterns on Dao costumes; Pang A ritual of the La Ha ethnic group; Mo Muong; the Xe Pang A ritual of the Khang people; and the Tet Xip Xi ritual of the White Thai people in Phu Yen and Quynh Nhai districts.

In addition, Son La has coordinated with Hoa Binh, Thanh Hoa, Ninh Binh, Phu Tho, and Dak Lak provinces, Hanoi, and the Institute of Music to compile a dossier for "Mo Muong", a folk performing genre, to seek UNESCO recognition as an intangible cultural heritage in need of urgent protection.

The UNESCO and national recognition has contributed to preserving, promoting and honouring intangible the cultural heritages of the ethnic groups.

However, the inventory work has just focused on heritage identification and listing due to limited funding, and issues regarding language barrier to inventory workers and their capacity, as well as the low public awareness of heritage values.

To fix the limitations, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism will continue to advise the provincial People's Committee to build a team of qualified inventory workers, and offer incentives to encourage individuals and artisans, especially senior artisans, to pass down and preserve cultural heritages that are on the brink of oblivion.

It will also step up the communication work to raise community awareness, contributing to preserving heritage values.