“Quan Ho” singing is a typical form of Vietnamese folk music that originated in Bac Ninh Province, Vietnam. Over 300 years of existence, that form of art performance has become an essential part of Vietnamese culture and a pride of Vietnamese as well.
“Quan Ho” singing is usually performed by couples of male and female vocalists. Female singers (called “lien chi” in Vietnamese) are beautiful in “ao tu than” (four-panel traditional dress) and “non quai thao” (“quai thao” hat, so-called “non ba tam”). Male singers (called “lien anh” in Vietnamese) are elegant in “ao the” and “khan xep”. They sing love duets together in pair of one male and one female.
Each year, on the occasion of Lim Festival (opening annually on around 12th -13th day of the first lunar month in the year), male and female vocalists of Kinh Bac region (former name of Bac Ninh Province) gather and perform gentle melody of folk songs. Besides, “quan ho” singing is also performed in many other traditional festivals, special events and weddings.
On September 30th, 2009, at the 4th session of the Intergovernmental Committee of UNESCO Convention on Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection, “quan ho” singing was officially titled as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of human being.