Bac Ninh Festival 2010 opened at the Kinh Bac Cultural Centre on the evening of April 17. The highlights of the festival included a grand ceremony to receive UNESCO’s certificates recognising the province’s Quan Ho (love duets) and Ca Tru (ceremonial singing) as intangible cultural heritage of humanity and a 15-minute firework display.

Katherine Muller Marin, Head of the UNESCO office in Hanoi handed the certificates to Nguyen Cong Ngo, Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the People’s Council.

On behalf of the Party, State and Government, Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Phu Trong praised the achievements obtained by the provinces in recent years and expressed his hope that the province will further develop its local traditions and cultural values while fully exploiting the local advantages to boost socio-economic developments and improve people’s living standards.

The Chairman stressed that Quan ho is a cultural activity showing the unique spiritual and cultural values of the Bac Ninh people. With UNESCO’s recognition Quan Ho has become a common asset that needs to be preserved and developed in line with the international conventions. This gives Vietnam a sense of pride and fresh impetus to preserve and develop other cultural values of the nation.

On the occasion Chairman Trong presented each of 40 Quan ho singing artists VND1 million and a red silk cloth.

An incense offering ceremony at Den Do Temple, a trade and tourism exhibition displaying the province’s socio-economic achievements and tourism potential, a love duet singing contest, a water puppet show and other cultural events were also held as part of the festival.

 
(Source: VOV)