JavaScript is off. Please enable to view full site.

Lim fest, ‘quan ho’ artists and lovers’ Tet (photos)

Lim fest, ‘quan ho’ artists and lovers’ Tet (photos)

Thursday, February 13, 2014, 15:44 GMT+7

The Lim fest, which features UNESCO-recognized “quan ho” (Bac Ninh folk love duets) along with a host of traditional activities, attracted some thousand visitors on Feb 11 and 12.

The festivities took place in Lim town in Tu Son district, and Tien Du district’s Noi Due and Lien Bao communes. The epicenter was at Hong Van mountain, also known as Lim mountain.

Sweet “quan ho” performances, showcasing artists from local “quan ho” villages, cultural centers and art schools, were provided inside five tents, on boats and  onstage. Performances given at the artists’ homes in the neighborhood usually feature the genre in its original form.

Visitors can also rent costumes and take part in the artists’ performances.

“For us, ‘quan ho’ artists and enthusiasts, performances of the genre at and around the Lim fest are as significant as Tet. We work all year long and eagerly wait for the fest before returning to our daily farm work,” shared Chien, a veteran “quan ho” artist.

The fest also features palanquin processions and folk games such as high swings, wrestling, pot smashing while being blindfolded, sack-hopping, human chess and traditional card games.

“Quan ho” is typically performed as alternating verses between two women from one village who sing them in harmony, and two men from another village who respond with similar melodies, but with different lyrics.

The more than 400 song lyrics, sung with 213 different melody variations, are expressive of lovers’ longing and sadness upon separation, and their happiness upon reunion.

“Quan ho”, which is recognized by the UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, is typically performed at rituals, festivals, competitions and informal gatherings. The haunting songs also help cement social bonds within and between villages which share the tradition.

Tuoitrenews

More

Read more

;

VIDEOS

‘Taste of Australia’ gala dinner held in Ho Chi Minh City after 2-year hiatus

Taste of Australia Gala Reception has returned to the Park Hyatt Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City's District 1 after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Vietnamese woman gives unconditional love to hundreds of adopted children

Despite her own immense hardship, she has taken in and cared for hundreds of orphans over the past three decades.

Latest news