Thousands of local people and visitors have flocked to Tien Du district in the northern province of Bac Ninh to attend the Lim festival, which honours Quan Ho (love duet singing) – the world intangible cultural heritage recognised by UNESCO.
Quan Ho is
performed on boats - Illustrative image (Source: VNA)
The annual festival takes place on February 27-28 or the 12th and
13th days of the Lunar New Year.
The incense-offering rituals were organised at Hong An pagoda (Lim pagoda) on
Lim Hill. The pagoda is dedicated to Nguyen Dinh Dien (Hieu Trung Hau),
who invented Quan Ho.
The Lim festival contributes to preserving the locality’s traditional cultural
values and promoting images and tourism potential of Bac Ninh.
The organising board has arranged six areas and one stage for Quan Ho singing.
Quan Ho is also performed on boats, and at pagodas and communal houses in Noi
Due and Lien Bao communes, and Lim town.
Besides Quan Ho singing, the festival also features various folk games such as
traditional wrestling, earthenware pot breaking, and bamboo swinging.
The art of love duets was inscribed in UNESCO’s representative list of intangible
cultural heritage in September 2009.
Quan Ho is an art form that combines various elements, including music,
lyrics and costumes, and features the distinctive culture of people in the
region formerly called Kinh Bac.
The singing represents different kinds of relationships -- the
relationship between male and female singers as romantic lovers, the
relationship between two friendly villages and the relationship between
performers and the audience. Each element helps define Quan Ho, give it
life and meaning, and the resulting harmony is so much more than just a
beautiful song.
Source: VNA
Gongs hold a special place in the cultural and spiritual life of the Muong ethnic people in Hoa Binh province. More than musical instruments, they are an indispensable part of community rituals and collective memory, echoing through generations as a spiritual thread linking the past, present, and future.
Preserving and promoting the cultural values of the Muong ethnic group has become an urgent task in the current context, as many traditional values face the risk of fading away. This effort requires not only protecting the cultural identity but also eliminating outdated customs and developing a modern cultural lifestyle, contributing to sustainable values for the Muong community in Hoa Binh province.
The Muong ethnic culture, deeply rooted in Vietnam’s mountainous north, continues to be preserved and revitalised by dedicated individuals and communities determined to safeguard their ancestral identity.
The Muong group is one of the largest ethnic minorities in Vietnam, primarily found in Hoa Binh province. The Muong people in Hoa Binh boast a rich and diverse cultural treasure that reflects the unique identity of this ethnic group. Accounting for over 63% of the province's population, they have created and preserved numerous distinctive cultural values, contributing to their unique identity. Their cultural heritage is an invaluable asset, at the heart of their national identity, and represents a vibrant spiritual life that must be preserved and promoted in today’s modern world.
For generations, the ethnic communities of Hoa Binh province, particularly the Muong people, have preserved vibrant festivals deeply intertwined with the region’s geography, nature, and social traditions. These celebrations enrich Hoa Binh’s spiritual life and cultural identity, reflecting both folk beliefs and the intermingling of ethnic customs. Many of these festivals have endured the test of time, passed down through generations and continuing to thrive today. Among them, the Khai Ha (Going Down to the Field) festival stands out as one of the most significant events of the Muong ethnic group.
Muong calendar, known as sach doi, is an ancient folk knowledge system developed through observations of the movement of the pleiades star. This unique calendar consists of 12 bamboo sticks, each representing a lunar month. Specific days within each month are marked with distinct symbols, guiding locals in determining auspicious and inauspicious days for important activities.
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