Exhibition spotlights traditional Quan ho singing in modern context
An exhibition on Quan ho (love duet) opened in the northern province of Bac Ninh on January 23 to mark a decade since the traditional art form was recognised by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity (2009-2019).
Quan ho artists talk to school pupils about the art form at the exhibition (Photo: VNA)
Bac Ninh (VNA) – An exhibition on Quan ho (loveduets) opened in the northern province of Bac Ninh on January 23 to mark adecade since the traditional art form was recognised by UNESCO as an intangiblecultural heritage of humanity (2009 - 2019).
Taking place at the provincial museum, the exhibitionfeatures more than 500 photos, documents, and objects that tell the story ofQuan ho.
Quan ho is an art form that combines various elements,including music, lyrics, and costume, and features the distinctive culture ofpeople in the region, formerly called Kinh Bac.
It has different sub-genres, including hat chuc, hat mung(literally meaning greeting singing), hat tho (ritual singing), hat canh (asinging competition between Quan ho choirs from different villages, which takesplace in the evening during the spring festival), and hat hoi (festival singing).
After its recognition as an intangible cultural heritage ofhumanity, the provincial authorities have paid more attention to preserving theart form. These include preferential treatment for Quan ho artists; openclasses where artists can teach younger generations; and initiatives tocollect, record, and compile more than 500 Quan ho folk songs.
The exhibition is classified into three categories, one ofwhich introduces Diem village, which is considered the birthplace of Quan homusic.
The second category gives insight into traditional Quan hocultural spaces and the practice of the art form in contemporary society.
The last category showcases the outcomes of preservationefforts, including several communications campaigns, education programmes, andpreferential policies targeting Quan ho artists.
The annual love duet singing festival will be organised on February 27 and 28 in Lim town, Noi Due and Lien Bao commune of Tien Du district in the northern province of Bac Ninh.
Thousands of local people and visitors have flocked to Tien Du district in the northern province of Bac Ninh to attend the Lim festival, which honours Quan Ho (love duet singing).
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Coming to the Vietnamese booth, visitors had the chance to take part in a bamboo dance, a workshop on painting woven bamboo or rattan, or quizzes about Vietnam.
These are impressive achievements, not only showing the efforts and prowess of Vietnamese paddlers but also serving as proof of the sports sector’s strategic and systematic investment.
Quan ho artists talk to school pupils about the art form at the exhibition (Photo: VNA) 
