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 event will last until March 5. –VNA
VNA
