Art performance space of Bac Ninh Quan Ho folksong

Overview of Bac Ninh Quan Ho Folk Theater.

A huge, beautiful, and modern new structure was constructed directly in the heart of the ancient hamlet, with new open and innovative missions, creating a distinctive cultural meeting place that is rarely encountered elsewhere, thereby, contributing to the preserving, promoting, and distributing Quan Ho folksong - the world's intangible cultural heritage.

Covering on an area of 19,400 square meters, Bac Ninh Quan Ho Folk Theater (Theater) began construction in September 2016 with a total investment of over VND 240 billion. It was put into use in January 2020. In particular, the main theater has a total floor area of 7,900 m2, uniquely designed with a harmonious blend of tradition and modernity and a roof over 60m long, curved like the roof of a Vietnamese village communal house. Below, there are stylized shapes like a three-tam hat that create the unique nuance of the theater. Next to it is a large lake, called the semicircular lake for performing Quan Ho songs on boats during holidays and Tet.

In front of the main door, there is a large yard and flower garden connecting the play area and walking path. The exterior has many green trees, including banyan trees and bamboo trees, creating a space imbued with the colors of the northern countryside. When people in the province and tourists have the opportunity to visit the theater, they can visit, admire the scenery, and take souvenir photos.

This is a typical cultural project of the province with unique architecture, creating a special performance space for Quan Ho folk song lovers in particular, and is a visiting destination for people and domestic and international tourists. The theater is open to welcome visitors, learn about history and architecture, and enjoy the unique art programs of Bac Ninh. The project was awarded the Silver Award at the National Architecture Awards (2022 - 2023) by the Vietnam Association of Architects.

According to the project "Promoting cultural heritage values associated with tourism development in Bac Ninh province in the period 2021-2025, with a vision to 2030", the Theater is oriented to build, developing into a famous art unit in the region and the world. It is an attractive tourist destination that attracts a large number of people to watch, enjoy, and create, preserve, and promote the value of Bac Ninh Quan Ho folksong and other forms of folk culture and art. Recently, the Theater organized free Quan Ho performances and cultural and educational activities; proactively made a plan to promote and associate with tourism business units to build tours, routes, and create attractive specific tourism products.

The theater in the ancient village serves as a strong lever to promote the development of cultural tourism in the locality while creating a particularly attractive tourism product for tourists from near and far.

In the coming time, the theater hopes that it will meet the artistic enjoyment requirements of tourists coming to Bac Ninh and become a destination for tourists on their journey to discover the culture of Bac Ninh – Kinh Bac land, thus contributing to the current and future development of Bac Ninh tourism.