A delegation of officials, artists, and performers from Bac Ninh province promoted Quan Ho folk singing heritage in France in June 2024. (Source: Baobacninh) |
New vitality, new values
When talking about Bac Ninh, it's impossible not to mention Quan Ho folk songs, as they are one of the most valuable and distinctive cultural resources for building the province's brand and developing tourism . The fact that Bac Ninh Quan Ho folk songs were recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage on September 30, 2009, further boosted this unique tourism product.
Immediately after Quan Ho folk singing was officially recognized, Bac Ninh successfully organized many "Returning to the Quan Ho Region" Festivals. Along with that, traditional festivals in many original Quan Ho villages, such as the Diem Festival and the Lim Festival, were given attention to building a civilized and healthy cultural environment, becoming cultural destinations attracting thousands of visitors to participate and experience the performances.
The promotion and dissemination of Quan Ho cultural heritage is being carried out through diverse and creative methods. From August 2017 to the present, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has organized numerous boat singing performances on Nguyen Phi Y Lan Lake and Vua Ba Lake. Each program has a different theme linked to the province's cultural events, and notably, there is interaction and exchange between the audience, tourists, and artists, artisans, and male and female singers from the original Quan Ho villages.
In recent years, Bac Ninh's "Returning to the Quan Ho Region" tourism brand has been establishing itself on the Vietnamese tourism map. However, according to many experts, to transform Quan Ho folk songs into a distinctive and representative tourism product that meets the tastes of a new generation of the public and aligns with the current tourism market, it's not enough to simply honor and preserve them. It's also necessary to elevate and effectively promote the unique values of this heritage.
Bac Ninh is focusing on perfecting new, highly distinctive product lines to provide tourists with more exciting experiences and discoveries when visiting Bac Ninh. This includes continuing to exploit and promote the potential of the Quan Ho folk singing cultural heritage; developing a comprehensive spatial planning project for the original Quan Ho villages; recreating the ancient Quan Ho cultural space; exploiting the value of the heritage to develop tourism; and linking the exploitation of Quan Ho folk singing with community tourism, following a harmonious development orientation between preservation and socio-economic development.
With its unique and distinctive value, Quan Ho folk songs are gradually becoming a "magnet" attracting tourists and creating a competitive advantage for Bac Ninh's tourism development. Bac Ninh's goal in the coming period is to use tourism promotion activities to transform Quan Ho folk songs into a unique tourism product, attracting both domestic and international visitors.
Quan Ho folk singing performed on boats for tourists at the Lim Festival. (Photo: Thanh Tung) |
Taking Quan Ho folk singing to a wider audience…
Over the years, Quan Ho folk songs have been preserved and developed in villages and hamlets. In particular, Quan Ho folk songs have been preserved and passed down through generations in Bac Ninh province, becoming a unique local identity and spreading to form a distinctive cultural space. Historical and cultural relics and traditional festivals associated with Quan Ho folk songs have also been classified and protected by the State.
With values recognized worldwide, the Quan Ho folk singing heritage is truly an attractive resource for both domestic and international tourists. The enduring vitality and longevity of Quan Ho performances continue to attract and leave a lasting impression on visitors.
The province has issued many timely and effective guidelines and policies to preserve Quan Ho folk songs. Fulfilling its commitment to UNESCO, over the past 16 years, Bac Ninh has continuously strived to preserve and promote the value of this heritage with many specific mechanisms and policies.
Assessing the preservation of Bac Ninh Quan Ho folk songs over the past period, Nguyen Xuan Trung, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Bac Ninh province, affirmed that the province has issued many timely and effective policies and guidelines that have truly been implemented.
Bac Ninh province is a leader nationwide in developing policies and mechanisms to honor and reward cultural heritage artisans, thereby contributing to motivating artisans to continue nurturing their passion and enthusiasm, and dedicating their talents to the preservation and promotion of heritage values.
In addition, the province has allocated significant funds to support the construction of cultural institutions and equipment related to the preservation and promotion of the Quan Ho folk song heritage. The dissemination and promotion of Bac Ninh's Quan Ho folk songs have been strengthened through various media channels and in many major political, diplomatic, and cultural events at the provincial, national, and international levels, such as: the "Returning to the Quan Ho Land" Festival, art exchange programs between several UNESCO-recognized national heritage sites; and Quan Ho singing on boats... Through these efforts, the province contributes to preserving and promoting the cultural values and traditional culture of Bac Ninh to friends both domestically and internationally.
With its value and status as a world intangible cultural heritage, Quan Ho folk singing is a rich resource for creating and transforming impressive, unique, and distinctive cultural products. Bac Ninh province recognizes that promoting and exploiting the economic potential of Quan Ho folk singing in the current trend of globalization is not only something that should be done, but more than that, something that must be done.
Quan Ho folk singing performance in Lim town (Tien Du district, Bac Ninh province). (Photo: Thanh Tung) |
In particular, in October 2024, in Hanoi, the event where Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Chinese Premier Li Qiang enjoyed the Quan Ho folk songs of Bac Ninh delighted both domestic and international audiences... The beauty of the sweet melodies, the delicate and philosophical lyrics, and the elegant and impressive costumes, unlike anywhere else, affirmed the unique cultural identity of Vietnam.
It can be said that Quan Ho folk songs from Bac Ninh are increasingly influential both domestically and internationally. Quan Ho appears as one of the typical representatives of Vietnamese culture in political events, cultural diplomacy activities, programs to welcome heads of state, meetings, cooperation and exchange with foreign leaders...
From 2009 to the present, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Bac Ninh province has advised on and organized nearly 1,600 Quan Ho folk singing performances to serve the people of the province and to introduce and promote the heritage to domestic and international audiences. Regarding overseas heritage promotion, Bac Ninh has organized 15 delegations of officials, artists, and performers to perform in many countries: France, Germany, the Czech Republic, Australia, New Zealand, Dubai, Japan, India, South Korea, China, etc. These performances promoting and exchanging Quan Ho culture have left a deep impression on the overseas Vietnamese community and have been appreciated and well-received by international audiences.
Intangible cultural heritage is a crucial driving force for the sustainable development of nations. The inclusion of Bac Ninh Quan Ho folk songs in diplomatic activities demonstrates a vision and awareness of cultural traditions at the local, national, and international levels, contributing to enhanced cultural dialogue, respect for diversity, community cohesion, and the promotion of peace and mutual understanding among nations and peoples.
Sixteen years after being recognized by UNESCO, the Quan Ho folk singing heritage of Bac Ninh has been comprehensively protected against the changes of time and space. Moreover, Quan Ho has taken on a new appearance and vitality, harmonizing with the rhythm of the times and reaching ever further.
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/dan-ca-quan-ho-bac-ninh-vuon-ra-the-gioi-319166.html
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