The 'quan họ' festival 2023 including about 30 activities aims to honour the national value of traditional duet love singing. Photos vov.vn

BẮC NINH — A series of special cultural and tourism activities will take place this week as part of the quan họ (love duet) singing festival 2023 being held in the northern province of Bắc Ninh.

An opening ceremony held on Saturday in the province's Kinh Bắc Cultural Centre Square attracted thousands of people to this year's festival which is themed Về Miền Quan Họ (Travelling to the Land of Quan Họ).

The five-day event includes about 30 activities to honour the national value of traditional duet love singing, connecting the quintessence of intangible cultural heritages recognised by UNESCO and receiving the decisions on recognition of three artifacts as National Treasures.

Speaking at the ceremony, Chairman of the People's Committee of Bắc Ninh Province Nguyễn Hương Giang said Bắc Ninh - Kinh Bắc - the land of "genius and masterpiece", is rich in historical, cultural and revolutionary traditions, and home to the relics of Kings of Lý Dynasty to open and develop the Đại Việt civilisation.

"This land is the ancestral hall of Buddhism, the first centre of Confucianism in the country. Over thousands of years of history, it has crystallised and developed in Bắc Ninh-Kinh Bắc a system of diverse, rich and unique cultural heritages," said the provincial official.

The festival also offers performances of other localities with intangible cultural heritage recognised by UNESCO such as Huế royal court music, gong playing of the Central Highlands province of Đắk Lắk and Xoan singing of the northern province of Phú Thọ.

Bắc Ninh is also known as the land of traditional folk festivals, with various customs and practices. Folk performances have their own unique nuances, typically the quan họ singing, which has been recognised by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity. Up to now, after more than 10 years since being recognised, Quan họ Bắc Ninh has been preserved and spread strongly domestically and internationally, said Giang.

In addition to quan họ, this festival also includes performances of other localities with intangible cultural heritage recognised by UNESCO across the country such as Huế royal court music, gong playing of the Central Highlands province of Đắk Lắk and Xoan singing of the northern province of Phú Thọ.

Attending the opening ceremony was Deputy Prime Minister Trần Hồng Hà who handed over decisions on the recognition of three artifacts of Bắc Ninh Province as National Treasures approved by the Prime Minister in 2022.

Thousands of people rushed to attend the opening ceremony of this year's festival held on Saturday in the province's Kinh Bắc Cultural Centre Square.

The treasures include a stone stele of Tĩnh Lự Pagoda, dating from the year of the Rat (1648), currently kept at the pagoda in Lãng Ngâm Commune, Gia Bình District; a Quan Thế Âm statue dating from the year of the Snake (1449) of Cung Kiệm Pagoda, currently preserved at the pagoda in Nhân Hòa Commune, Quế Võ District; a Đông Sơn Culture bronze artifact, dated between 2200 and 2300 years ago in the third or second century BC, now kept at the Nam Hồng royal museum in Từ Sơn City.

After the ceremony, the audience enjoyed an art programme themed Miền Di Sản - Tinh Hoa và Bản Sắc (Heritage Domain - Essence and Identity), with the participation of nearly 1,000 artists and actors from theatres and art troupes in Bắc Ninh and from across the country. VNS​

Nearly 1,000 artists and actors from theatres and art troupes in Bắc Ninh and from across the country have participated in the opening ceremony of the 'quan họ' festival 2023.

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