UNESCO gives nod to ''Quan Ho''

“Quan Ho Bac Ninh” singing (Bac Ninh folk love duets) has been recognised as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity at the fourth session of the UNESCO International Committee, in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
“Quan Ho” is among 76 new cultural treasures that were selected from 111 nominations after three rounds of assessment, said the Deputy Head of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s Department of Cultural Heritage Le Thi Minh Ly.
Ly, who is attending the UNESCO International Committee session which will end on Oct. 2, said that “Quan Ho Bac Ninh” is highly valued for its special cultural value as a performance art, with its unique customs, language and costumes, she added.
Originating in northern Bac Ninh province around the 13th century, “Quan Ho” is an antiphonal singing tradition in which men and women take turns singing in a call and response pattern.
Previously, “Nha Nhac Hue” (royal court music) of the Nguyen Dynasty and the Space of “Cong Chieng” (gongs) Culture in the Central Highlands of Tay Nguyen were also welcomed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) as part of the World Intangible Cultural Heritage.