Festival to mark decade of Quan ho folk singing UNESCO recognition
Bac Ninh: Festival to mark decade of Quan ho folk singing UNESCO recognition
Various activities will be held across the northern province of Bac Ninh from February 13 to 28 in a festival marking 10 years since the Quan ho Bac Ninh folk songs became part of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
Singers perform Quan ho Bac Ninh folk songs on a boat at the Lim Festival in 2017 (Photo: VNA)
Bac Ninh (VNA) – Various activities will be heldacross the northern province of Bac Ninh from February 13 to 28 in a festivalmarking 10 years since the Quan ho Bac Ninh folk songs became part of theintangible cultural heritage of humanity.
The provincial Party Committee’s information andeducation board said on January 25 that the “Returning to the land of Quan ho2019” festival will consist of 25 activities, including a celebration of the10th anniversary of Quan ho’s recognition by UNESCO, an exchange programmebetween artisans of Quan ho and other UNESCO-recognised intangible culturalheritage items of Vietnam, and a programme of Quan ho folk song performances onboats.
Head of the information and education boardNguyen Dang Tuc said it will be attended by artisans of 44 original Quan hovillages in Bac Ninh. Five similar villages in the neighbouring province of BacGiang were also invited to this event.
A cultural and tourism week will also beorganised on this occasion to popularise Bac Ninh’s image to visitors fromacross Vietnam and other countries, he added.
Fringe activities include a Quan ho singingcompetition, a youth camp, and an international women’s volleyball tournament.
Quan ho Bac Ninh folk songs were inscribed onthe Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity onSeptember 30, 2009. Since then, Bac Ninh has made considerable efforts torealise its commitments to UNESCO to conserve and uphold the value of this artform, thus obtaining comprehensive results.
The songs are alternating response songs betweenmale and female singers. Quan ho singing is common at rituals, festivals,competitions, and informal gatherings, where guests will perform a variety ofverses for their hosts before singing farewell.–VNA
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Singers perform Quan ho Bac Ninh folk songs on a boat at the Lim Festival in 2017 (Photo: VNA) 
