Quan Ho performance on boat

BAC NINH - Unlike many other folk songs that usually have only a few basic melodies with a single-line performance form, Quan Ho folk songs have developed richly with hundreds of melodies and diverse performance spaces. In particular, boat singing has developed into an attractive performance form in contemporary cultural life.

According to Quan Ho culture researcher Le Danh Khiem, Quan Ho singing on boats is a form of festival singing, a way of singing love songs between Quan Ho groups during village festivals. It is one of the four basic performance forms of traditional Quan Ho, along with worship singing, watch singing and congratulatory singing, each form has its own rules and standards. Boat singing often only uses single voices, small voices with melodies with familiar content, related to rivers and water such as: "Sitting on the side of the boat", "Lenh dong doi ba chiec thuyen chap", "Goi do"...

Quan Ho singing on boats is becoming a branded cultural tourism product of Bac Ninh.

Nowadays, the form of Quan Ho singing on boats has been staged to suit new enjoyment trends. Instead of traditional antiphonal singing, the performances are often staged as an art program including solo singing, duets, and group singing with musical accompaniment, lighting, and sparkling stage design. The performance boats used to be simple basket boats, but are now replaced by corrugated iron boats decorated with dragons and phoenixes. It is worth noting that despite the change in form, the core values of Quan Ho are still preserved.

Since August 2017, Bac Ninh province (old) has deployed and maintained the Quan Ho folk song performance program on boats, periodically on holidays and Tet in the central area of Kinh Bac ward. This is a concrete step to integrate heritage into urban life, serving the cultural needs of the people, while building unique cultural tourism products, attracting domestic and international visitors.

Along with regular performances, Bac Ninh Quan Ho Folk Song Theater also continuously stages themed art programs, associated with major events, holidays, Tet, festivals, etc. In addition, on the first and fifteenth day of every month, at Vua Ba Lake (Viem Xa area, Kinh Bac ward), Bac Ninh Quan Ho Folk Song Theater regularly organizes Quan Ho performances on boats, creating a free art enjoyment space, serving the community and tourists.

Article and photos: Thuan Thao

Source: https://baobacninhtv.vn/dien-xuong-quan-ho-tren-thuyen-postid423703.bbg