Sweet Quan Ho songs on the southern bank of the Duong River

BAC NINH - If in the past, the unique traditional art forms on the southern bank of the Duong River were drums, ca tru, cheo, and water puppetry, now Quan Ho is "sprouting green branches and tips". Coming to the southern bank of the Duong River, visitors can not only admire the typical historical and cultural relics such as Dau Pagoda, But Thap Pagoda or experience Dong Ho folk painting village... but also immerse themselves in the sweet Quan Ho songs of the Lien Anh and Lien Chi singers.

Báo Bắc Ninh•12/07/2025

We went to the southern bank of the Duong River at the invitation of Ms. Kim Tuyen, Head of the Quan Ho Folk Song Club in Ngoc Kham Quarter, Thuan Thanh Ward. In the exciting atmosphere when the homeland and the country had many changes, the Quan Ho melody "Please drink, please betel" without the club's accompaniment seemed sweeter and more affectionate: "When guests come to visit my house / I light charcoal, fan the water, and make tea for them to enjoy / This tea is so precious, my dear / Each person has a cup to please me...".

A performance of Quan Ho villages on the southern bank of the Duong River.

Not being an original Quan Ho village, without an artist to refine the lyrics, the Quan Ho singing skills of the members have reached a level of “resonance, resonance, foundation, and bounce”. Ms. Kim Tuyen shared: In the digital age, the club members have known how to take advantage of and diligently listen to artists and artists to learn to sing via the internet, tapes, and discs. At the same time, they actively participate in classes on singing Bac Ninh Quan Ho folk songs, and training classes on preserving traditional art forms organized by the Bac Ninh Quan Ho Folk Song Theater.

Along the southern bank of the Duong River, there are no original Quan Ho villages, but up to now, there have been 105 Quan Ho villages with thousands of participants. Quan Ho lovers in Quan Ho villages are passionate about honing their singing and participating in Quan Ho folk song festivals and competitions, achieving many remarkable achievements.

The Quan Ho Folk Song Club of Ngoc Kham Quarter was established in 2019, the oldest person is 60 years old, the youngest is 7 years old. With a burning love for traditional art, Ms. Kim Tuyen and 28 club members are determined not only to learn and practice ancient Quan Ho melodies but also to learn the culture and elegance of Quan Ho singers with the desire to sing, perform and spread the traditional Quan Ho culture widely in the community.

Coming to Gia Binh commune, talking with Ms. Phan Thi Nam, Head of the Quan Ho Club of Vang village, we understand more about the spread of Quan Ho in the community here. Established in 2018, the club attracts 45 members, always being the core force in the cultural and artistic movement, serving the political tasks of the locality. Ms. Phan Thi Nam said: "Quan Ho is like our spiritual food, every Saturday night we arrange our family work to go to the cultural house to sing to each other and then refine the lyrics to make the sentences and words soft and passionate". With the active and effective activities of the club, Vang village was soon recognized as a Quan Ho practice village.

Quan Ho singers perform for the people at the Dai Tu village festival (Tri Qua ward). Photo: Thanh Lam.

Quan Ho melodies resonate in all programs and events from hamlets, villages, neighborhoods to communes and wards. Quan Ho is performed at weddings, longevity celebrations, local art programs on the occasion of major national holidays, village and commune festivals... Along the southern bank of the Duong River, there are no original Quan Ho villages, but up to now, there have been 105 Quan Ho villages practicing Quan Ho with thousands of participants. Quan Ho lovers in the practicing Quan Ho villages are actively and passionately practicing their songs and participating in Quan Ho folk song festivals and competitions in early spring, competing and achieving remarkable results.

With the strong development of quan ho villages, quan ho clubs, teams, and groups, every year the Bac Ninh Quan Ho Folk Song Theatre organizes classes to improve quan ho singing skills, attracting the management board and club members to participate. Teaching is focused on preparing detailed and specific lesson plans on quan ho culture, ancient quan ho melodies from easy to difficult, performance methods, polite behavior of quan ho people, how to organize traditional quan ho singing sessions, and quan ho friendship making customs.

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Trung, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Bac Ninh said: “Bac Ninh always has solutions to promote local cultural and artistic movements, especially the preservation and promotion of the value of Quan Ho cultural heritage. The regimes and policies for artists and the support of operating costs for the original Quan Ho villages and the practicing Quan Ho villages have encouraged and motivated artists, Lien Anh and Lien Chi who have love and passion for Quan Ho to increasingly raise their responsibility to spread Quan Ho widely in the community, contributing to making Quan Ho a tourism product of Kinh Bac region”.

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