15 years of achievements of Bac Ninh Quan Ho folk songs

02/10/2024 14:16

(BNP) – After 15 years of Bac Ninh Quan Ho folk songs being recognized as a Representative Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Bac Ninh province has made full, comprehensive and considerable efforts to realize its commitments to UNESCO in conserving and upholding this art form’s value. In addition to preserving and promoting its value in the province, Quan Ho folk songs have developed and spread to many localities, provinces and cities at home and abroad, showing the strong vitality of Bac Ninh Quan Ho folk songs in contemporary life. After 15 years of being inscribed, Quan Ho folk songs have become deeply ingrained in the consciousness, becoming spiritual food and an indispensable part in the lives of many Vietnamese people.


Festival “Coming back to Quan Ho land - 2019”.

Bac Ninh Quan Ho folk songs are currently being well preserved and promoted in 4 environments including Bac Ninh Quan Ho Folk Song Theater, Provincial Cultural Center, in schools and communities. According to the synthesis results, there are over 600 Quan Ho clubs, of which 44 original Quan Ho villages and 150 practicing Quan Ho villages are recognized; 156 Quan Ho folk song artisans. After 15 years of being recognized, the work of conserving and upholding the value of Bac Ninh Quan Ho folk songs is clearly demonstrated through the following achievements:


Overview of the Bac Ninh Quan Ho Folk Song Theater.

1. After Bac Ninh Quan Ho folk songs were recognized by UNESCO, Bac Ninh issued specific mechanisms and policies, and implemented many projects and plans to preserve and promote the value of Bac Ninh Quan Ho folk songs.


Singing Bac Ninh Quan Ho folk songs on the boat at Lady King Lake.

2. The province supported investment in renovation, construction of cultural institutions and investment in related equipment for the task of preserving and promoting the value of Quan Ho.


Quan Ho hosting house in Diem village - a unique community cultural space of Quan Ho people.

3. For teaching and training Bac Ninh Quan Ho folk songs, from 2015 to present, Bac Ninh has regularly organized teaching classes for “Quan Ho young bamboo shoots” during the summer, thereby, nurturing Quan Ho talents.


A Quan Ho singing class at Hoa Long Secondary School (Bac Ninh city).

Since 2011, Quan Ho folk songs have been taught in schools from preschool to high school. Quan Ho folk songs have been taught and trained at the Provincial College of Culture, Arts and Tourism. The indirect teaching has been organized through the media, especially through the Provincial Radio and Television Station.


Quan Ho folk song artisans from Viem Xa quarter during a meeting at the Quan Ho hosting house.

4. In terms of mechanism and policy to honor and treat artisans and artists, Bac Ninh is the first and only locality in the country to honor and have a mechanism to treat Quan Ho folk song artisans. To date, the Provincial People’s Committee has awarded 156 Quan Ho folk song artisans. It also implemented a support mechanism for original Quan Ho villages (44 villages) of 30 million/village/year; Quan Ho practice villages (150 villages) of 20 million/village/year. For Quan Ho clubs outside the province, it supported 20 million/club/visit.


Artists, actors from Bac Ninh Quan Ho Folk Song Theater and artists from other countries at the 9th International Dance and Music Festival in India.

5. For diversifying forms of propaganda and promotion of Quan Ho, Bac Ninh organized exchanges, introduction and upholding of Bac Ninh Quan Ho folk songs domestically and internationally. Over the past 15 years, functional agencies have organized many performance programs, introduced and advertised Quan Ho folk songs to domestic and international friends with a total of nearly 1,600 sessions for people in the province, domestically and internationally.


Singing Quan Ho at the Expanded Bac Ninh Quan Ho Folk Songs Competition in Giap Thin Spring - 2024.

The Quan Ho Folk Song Contest is regularly organized in early Spring, from 2009 to now, the Contest has been held 12 times (3 years without organization due to Covid-19). Seminars and thematic exhibition of Quan Ho folk songs, singing Quan Ho folk songs on boats and on Full Moon Night also takes place.


An annual meeting of the Thi Cau Quan Ho Club at the Quan Ho hosting house in Thi Cau ward.

6. In terms of collection, editing and preservation of Bac Ninh Quan Ho folk songs, the province has collected 44 artifacts related to Quan Ho cultural activities in the early 20th century.


Some artifacts of Quan Ho singers are displayed at the Provincial Museum.

From 2013 to present, Bac Ninh Quan Ho Folk Song Theater has transcribed 160 songs, collected 110 ancient Quan Ho songs, and restored traditional Quan Ho singing forms. It also conducted nearly 40 research topics on Quan Ho cultural activities and lyrics, as well as organized the compilation, publication, reprinting, editing and distribution of 10 books on Quan Ho folk songs to propagate and promote political tasks and introduce unique values ​​of Quan Ho culture.

By B.H