South Korea gives folk art the thumbs up

      South Korea will support Viet Nam’s application to submit quan ho (folk love duet singing) to UNESCO for consideration as world intangible cultural heritage, said the South Korean ambassador Im Hong-Jae.
The ambassador was among guests from 45 foreign delegations who watched the quan ho performance on Tuesday night in Tien Du District, Bac Ninh Province.
The delegates enjoyed Viet Nam’s traditional quan ho folk music songs and were introduced to quan ho culture including cuisine and costumes. Nguyen Chi Ben , director of Viet Nam Culture and Art Institute gave a presentation on quan ho performances and the preservation and development of folk art.
Quan ho is rare cultural heritage not only for Vietnamese people but for the world, said the South Korean ambassador.
This idea gained support from ambassadors from Mexico, Italy, Cuba and Turkey. They stated their belief that quan ho documentation would be approved this September by UNESCO.