Quan ho Bac Ninh folk songs are alternating response songs between male and female singers. They sing songs with lyrics from poems and folk verses to express love without musical accompaniment. They perform Quan ho songs in the spring and fall at festivals and gatherings of friends.
Quan ho Bac Ninh folk songs are alternating response songs between male and female singers. They sing songs with lyrics from poems and folk verses to express love without musical accompaniment. They perform Quan ho songs in the spring and fall at festivals and gatherings of friends.
Quan ho Bac Ninh folk songs are alternating response songs between male and female singers. They sing songs with lyrics from poems and folk verses to express love without musical accompaniment. They perform Quan ho songs in the spring and fall at festivals and gatherings of friends.
INTERGOVERNMENTAL COMMITTEE FOR THE SAFEGUARDING OF THE INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE Fourth session Abu Dhabi, Unite Arab E!irates "# Se$te!ber to " O%tober "&&' No!ination (or ins%ri$tion on the Re$resentati)e List in "&&' *Re(eren%e No+ &&,#-. A+ STATE PARTY: Viet Na! B+ NAME OF ELEMENT: /uan H0 B1% Ninh (o23 son4s C+ COMMUNTY(ES), GROUP(S) OR, F APPLCABLE, NDVDUAL(S) CONCERNED: The Vit (Kinh) in 49 Quan ho villages and other neighbouring villages in current Bc Ninh and Bc Giang provinces of Viet Nam. D+ BREF TEXTUAL DESCRPTON OF THE NOMNATED ELEMENT: Quan ho Bc Ninh folk songs are alternating response songs between male and female singers. They perform Quan ho songs in the spring and fall at festivals and gatherings of friends. A pair of women from one village sings with a pair of men from another village with similar melodies, but different lyrics, and always with alternating tunes. n each pair, one person sings the leading tune and another sings a secondary part, but the two should be in perfect harmony at the same timbre. They sing songs with lyrics from poems and folk verses to express love without musical accompaniment. There are four known singing techniques such as vang (restrained), rn (resonant), nn (ringing), and ny (bouncing). Quan ho singing has three main types: ht canh (the singing at a host's house), ht thi ly gii (singing for prizes), and ht hi (singing at festivals). Quan ho singing is connected with tc kt ch (friendship custom) between villages, tc kt bn (friend-making custom) between groups of singers, as well as tc ng bn (sleepover custom). Although these customs are not practiced as much as in the past, communities still preserve and transmit Quan ho folk songs. RL09 - No. 00183 - page 1 Ori4ina25 En42ish ,+ DENTFCATON OF THE ELEMENT ,+a+ NAME OF ELEMENT: Quan Ho Bc Ninh Folk Songs ,+b+ OTHER NAME(S) OF THE ELEMENT, F ANY: Quan ho singing, Quan ho bc ninh singing ,+%+ DENTFCATON OF THE COMMUNTY(ES), GROUP(S) OR, F APPLCABLE, NDVDUAL(S) CONCERNED AND THER LOCATON: The holders of Quan ho Bc Ninh folk songs are the Vit people who support themselves through wet rice cultivation and handicraft production in the current Bc Ninh and Bc Giang provinces. Quan ho villages are located on the two sides of the Cu river, more than 30 kilometers from the capital, Hanoi. The villages are all situated within a contiguous area of 60 square kilometers. According to a 1962 inventory, there were 72 artists, 50 of whom were singers prior to August 1945. A 1972 inventory in 27 Quan ho villages in Bc Ninh province identified approximately 100 artists who had been performing Quan ho songs since the turn of the 20 th century. A 2003 survey in Bc Ninh province identified 59 Quan ho artists among whom six artists were recommended to the State to be recognized as Living Human Treasures. Two of these artists have passed away, the remaining four are Nguyn Vn Thj, Ng Thj Nhi, V Thj Chjch, and Nguyn Thj Nguyn. A 2008 inventory on Quan ho cultural heritage identified 1417 artists and practitioners from 12 to 98 years old in the 49 Quan ho villages (see the Supplementary Documentation: Intangible Heritage Inventory: Quan ho !"#c $inh %olk &ong', Vietnam nstitute of Culture and Arts Studies, Hanoi, 2008). ,++ GEOGRAPHC LOCATON AND RANGE OF THE ELEMENT: At the beginning of the 20 th century, Quan ho Bc Ninh folk songs were performed in the 49 villages which are locally recognized as the traditional Quan ho villages. 44 of these villages now lie in Bc Ninh province: Bai Uyn, Du ng, Ha Giang, Hoai Thi, Hoai Trung, Lung Giang, Lung Son, Ngang Ni, Vn Kham (Tin Du district) Tam Son, Tiu (Tu Son district) ng Mai, ng Yn (Yn Phong district) B Son, Chm Kh, C M, Duong , u Han, iu Thn, ng Xa, Xa, Hoa inh, Huu Chp, Kha L, Khuc Toai, Nem oai, Nem Son, Nem Tin, Nim Xa, Phuc Son, Thanh Son, Thi Chung, Thi Cu, Tho Ninh, Thuong ng, Tra Xuyn, V An, Vim Xa, Xun i, Xun ng, Xun , Xun Vin, Y Na, Yn Mn (Bc Ninh city) The remaining five traditional villages are located in Bc Giang province: Gia Son, Huu Nghi, Ni Ninh, Mai Vu, and Sen H (Vit Yn district). Thirteen other villages in Vit Yn district, Bc Giang that are not part of the traditional 49 Quan ho villages also perform the folk songs: inh Ca, ng Long, Kha Ly Thuong, Nui Hiu, Mt Ninh, Quang Biu, Tam T ng, Th n Chuc, Tin Lat Ha, Tin Lat Thuo ng, Th Ha, Trung ng, and Vn Cc. These villages are located in the extended area where Quan ho folk songs are disseminated. RL09 - No. 00183 - page 2 ,+e+ DOMAN(S) REPRESENTED BY THE ELEMENT: According to the Convention for the Safeguarding of ntangible Cultural Heritage, Quan ho Bc Ninh folk songs belong to the domain of performing arts. Generations of Quan ho singers have been composing, performing, and disseminating folk songs for hundreds of years. They sing Quan ho at festivals as well as in their daily routine, at home, in communal houses, in pagodas, on lakes, on rivers, and on the Lim hill. Each Quan ho village has its own festival. Quan ho singing is performed at village festivals, and is intertwined with the worship of tutelary gods, goddesses, and, in a couple of cases, fertility rituals. "+ DESCRPTON OF THE ELEMENT (CF. CRTERON R.1): Quan ho Bc Ninh folk songs are alternating response songs between male and female singers. There is no consensus on their historical origin. By comparing Quan ho lyrics with the development of the Vietnamese language, some claim that Quan ho songs developed in the middle of the 18 th century. The owners of Quan ho songs are the Vit peasants in villages who mainly practice wet rice cultivation. Quan ho singing has main types: ht th( (singing at rituals)) ht hi (singing at festivals), ht thi ly gii (singing for prizes), ht canh (the singing at a host's house). n addition to the songs "nvitation of Tea and "Areca Nuts and Betel Leaves, the singing at a host's house has three phases including ging * l+i (standard tune), ging ,-t (variety tune) and ging .i/ bn (farewell tune) types. Quan ho is sung in pairs with one person singing the leading tune and another sings a secondary part, but the two tunes should be in perfect harmony at the same timbre. There are four singing techniques that scholars and communities identify as the specific features which are restrained, resonant, ringing, and bouncing. Quan ho singing not only requires round voices, clear words, smooth, graceful, and resonant singing with many techniques such as vibrating, modulating, slurring, but also bouncing notes. The bouncing technique, while it shares some common traits with ch0o theatre and ca tr1 singing, has distinctive elements that cannot be confused with any other style. Quan ho folk songs have 213 different melody variations and more than 400 song lyrics. A song lyric includes two parts: the principal text is the core of the song, containing its base lyrics; the secondary text includes words that are added to the melodies, such as i hi) 2 h2) a ha, and so on. Quan ho folk songs are mainly composed using folk verses (ca 3ao) and poems. This art requires the additional sounds and words to the principal sounds and main lyrics in order to make the songs fluid, make them flexible, reinforce their musical features. Modulation of adjacent and intermediate tones is a special characteristic of Quan ho music. Quan ho artists combine two and three pentatonic modes within a single song. This allows artists to maintain an open structure while combining contrasting melodic features in one or several pentatonic modes to add variety to a song. Modulation is one of the features that places Quan ho B c Ninh at the pinnacle of folk arts in Viet Nam. Lyrics of Quan ho songs are derived from folk verses of the Vit, mostly 6 syllable and 8 syllable verses, modified 6 syllable and 8 syllable verses, 4 syllable or mixed 4 syllable verses. The lyrics are perfectly polished in poetic and standard language. The lyrics express people's emotional states in metaphorical language: longing and sadness experienced upon separation, and the happiness of the meeting of lovers, though artists may not marry each other according to social customs. Quan ho folk songs are always performed voluntarily in groups of men or women. Each group usually has four to six people who are named by order such as "Second Sister, "Third Sister, or "Second Brother, "Third Brother "Fourth Brother, and so on. f the size of a group reaches seven or eight people, then they are divided into "older and "younger siblings named as the "Third Younger Brother or "Fourth Older Sister. RL09 - No. 00183 - page 3 Quan ho folk songs exist in a cultural environment with their own social customs, the friendship among villages. Out of the 44 traditional Quan ho villages in Bc Ninh province, there are 33 pairs of friendship villages, making up nearly 80% of the total. The friendship customs are distinctive from those in the locations in the Red River delta, in that they are linked to a folklore performance. From the friendship custom, Quan ho songs have been developed and popularized in close association with Quan ho friend- making. Each Quan ho group from one village makes friends with another group from another village following the principle that male groups make friends with female groups and vice versa. With the friendship-partner villages, men and women in Quan ho groups from these villages are not allowed to marry each other. n performance, the outfits of Quan ho are distinctive: The female costume includes no#n thu#ng 4uai thao (the large round Quan ho hat) and a scarf for wrapping the hair, camisole, tunic, skirt, and scarves tied about the waist. The male costume includes a turban, umbrella, a shirt or robe including undershirts and long tunics with five pieces, trousers, and slippers. The male umbrellas and female hats are symbols that embody beliefs of the ancient Vit such as lingam (phallus) and yoni (clitoris) worship. These beliefs express the ancient views of the Vit on nature. One particular characteristic of Quan ho singing is the teaching and dissemination through "sleepover customs. Boys and girls from 9 to 16 or 17 years old, invite each other to sleep over in their host's house to learn Quan ho singing techniques. Male and female singers combine and practice their voices in pairs in order to have a unified timbre for performance. For hundreds of years, Quan ho songs have existed, expressing the spirit and awareness of the Vit in the region about the nature and society, and the songs are also the means for local people to perceive themselves and distinguish themselves from the Vit in other regions. Thus, the songs are preserved and promoted by Quan ho artists. n 1969, a new Quan ho form was developed by the Quan ho Folk Songs Troupe in order to widely popularize Quan ho. This form adapted the lyrical and melodious qualities of Quan ho to stage performance. Significant musical changes include simplified lyrics, faster tempo and the addition of instrumental accompaniment to perform on stage. On the other hand, in villages, communities still disseminate and preserve traditional Quan ho songs. -+ CONTRBUTON TO ENSURNG VSBLTY AND AWARENESS AND TO ENCOURAGNG DALOGUE (CF. CRTERON R.2): Historically, the creation and transmission of Quan ho Bc Ninh folk songs contributes to the heritage of responsive singing of men and women in Viet Nam and worldwide. Responsive singing and singing festivals are traditions not only among the Vit, other ethnic groups in Viet Nam, but also in other countries. n other ethnic groups, this tradition often forms part of an exchange between male and female groups in order to select partners and carry out marriage customs. n Quan ho singing, however, the friendship customs between villages in Bc Ninh and Bc Giang provinces regulate that men and women sing Quan ho, but are usually not allowed to get married to each other. Their feelings are platonic. For generations, Quan ho songs have attracted and impassioned people. The immense sadness when singers are separated, the unutterable happiness when they see each other after long time apart are expressed in the song lyrics, touching the hearts of many people. After making Quan ho friends, members of Quan ho groups respect and cherish each other like blood relatives. n the circle of the nature and harvests, Quan ho villages, female and male Quan ho groups meet each other at the beginning of the spring in festivals to perform their songs. They refresh themselves through costumes, food and singing to reconnect with friends after a long absence. The festivals connect people, villages, and communes by a folklore event, a performing art of cultural heritage. Quan ho folk songs have a potential for dialogue and integration in a larger space. RL09 - No. 00183 - page 4 Over the history of the creation of Quan ho folk songs, artists have adapted elements of songs from other regions as well. This includes aspects of traditional che5o theatre, religious songs (ch65u v"n), and ca tru5 singing. Sometimes nearly the whole song is adapted; other times the musical elements are modified in a way that develops or extends a Quan ho song. This practice shows that Quan ho artists have been aware of their songs' identities. This awareness penetrates in their blood and flesh, passing down from this generation to the next. Quan ho folk songs are created as a result of composition by sudden inspiration, improvisation in competitions, alternate singing of songs at a host's house, and the skillful transformation of song modes. That is an important creativity of many Quan ho artists generations. People in the 49 Quan ho villages and other communities in Bc Ninh and Bc Giang provinces have respected and appreciated Quan ho artists and acted to disseminate and preserve the songs. Quan ho communities thus show a respectful attitude toward cultural creation and diversity. n a Quan ho group, whether it is a male or female group, their behavior amongst themselves is always very polite. This characteristic is essential for a dialogue to safeguard cultural diversity. Today, Quan ho villages encounter significant challenges. New-style Quan ho singing leads to some divergence of their traditional features, to some loss of the values of music art and language, singing techniques as well as other social customs. The Government, local authorities and relevant institutions in Viet Nam make their efforts to safeguard this important heritage. 6+ SAFEGUARDNG MEASURES (CF. CRTERON R.3) 6+a+ CURRENT AND RECENT EFFORTS TO SAFEGUARD THE ELEMENT: Since 1954, local authorities have been interested in safeguarding and promoting Quan ho songs and festivals. n 1962, Bc Ninh province held the first Quan ho conference. From 1963 to 1996, Ha Bc province (today comprised of Bc Ninh and Bc Giang provinces) held six conferences on Quan ho folk songs. n 1969, the Quan ho Bc Ninh Folk Songs Troupe was established as an institution to safeguard, develop and perform Quan ho folk songs. Former H Bc province set up a center for Quan ho Bc Ninh culture to collect and research the songs. n Decree No 1357/Q-CT dated November 19, 2003, Bc Ninh designated the Lim hill (Tin Du district) as a center for traditional festivals and Quan ho performances. n 2004, the Bc Ninh Department of Culture and nformation also has a project to safeguard the Quan ho village of Vim Xa. Annually, the two provinces of Bc Ninh and Bc Giang hold Quan ho alternate singing festivals in the spring in order to identify new Quan ho artists. n recent years, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has identified Quan ho folk songs as an exceptional form of cultural heritage and stressed the importance of safeguarding and promoting it. n 2003, with the assistance of Hanoi UNESCO office, the National Department of Cultural Heritage and B c Ninh Department of Culture and nformation implemented a pilot project to identify representative Quan ho artists in B c Ninh province. The Vietnamese government has awarded the title of $gh7 '8 9u t: (Distinguished Artist) to Mrs. Ta Thj Hnh, a Quan ho artist. n March 2006, the Vietnam nstitute of Culture and Arts Studies organized an international conference on &a;eguar3ing an3 <ro=oting o; %olk &ong' in >onte=?orary &ociety (see 7.c.2). At the end of 2006, the B c Ninh Department of Culture and nformation held a seminar on &a;eguar3ing o; @l3 Quan ho !"# c $inh %olk &ong'A For more than one hundred years, many collections and works of research on Quan ho have been published (see Supplementary Documentation: >ollection o; B''ay' on Quan ho !Cc $inh %olk &ong', VCAS, Hanoi, 2008). The artists and local residents of the 49 Quan ho villages have agreed upon the consensus to safeguard and promote Quan ho folk songs in a meeting held on November 10, 2005 in Bc Ninh province. n this conference about 500 artists signed a letter, RL09 - No. 00183 - page 5 inquiring the Government to have a plan for the preservation and promotion of Quan ho Bc Ninh songs. The artists of Quan ho villages in the survey on the intangible heritage inventory in April, May, and July 2008 in the 49 Quan ho villages also confirmed this consensus. Today, the documents with the artists' signatures and interviews are archived at VCAS. Since 1945, the friendship customs between villages and the friend-making custom between groups of singers, the sleepover custom and festivals in Quan ho villages have been changed dramatically. Artists who can sing old Quan ho songs are becoming fewer over time. Traditional style competitions are no longer practiced in the Quan ho villages, which means that Quan ho improvisation is disappearing. These changes have forced local authorities and communities to hasten the implementation of measures to safeguard and promote the value of Quan ho folk songs. 6+b+ SAFEGUARDNG MEASURES PROPOSED: ,+ Sa(e4uarin4 !easures5 To help the communities identify and annually implement an inventory of Quan ho Bc Ninh folk songs. To develop a list of Quan ho Bc Ninh artists in Bc Ninh and Bc Giang provinces; to set up award policies for artists such as salary or subsidy, especially for those designated as "Living Human Treasures in the Quan ho villages in the two provinces of Bc Ninh and Bc Giang. To complete documentations and research on Quan ho folk songs, including those in the villages of the extended area. To classify and systemize documents in order to archive and serve communities to have access to the resources of Quan ho folk songs. The two provinces of Bc Ninh and Bc Giang will work together with communities to hold a biannual Quan ho Bc Ninh festival, based on annual Quan ho Bc Ninh festivals in each district; to develop the Lim hill into a center for Quan ho culture, including performance space, carrying out the project of planting new trees and restoring the tomb of Nguyn Din; to develop the Lim festival (Tin Du district, Bc Ninh province) and B a pagoda festival (Vit Yn district, Bc Giang province) into an annual festival of Quan ho singing exchange and competition; to revive religious singing performance in the Vim X village festival (Bc Ninh city, Bc Ninh province) to preserve standard melodies of Quan ho songs. To support communities to revive and maintain social practices, beliefs and ceremonies relevant to Quan ho folk songs, revise the annual singing competition for prizes in the Quan ho villages. To establish an Association of Quan ho Bc Ninh Artists made of members of existing village-level Quan ho Clubs, to set up activity programs for the Association so that this non-governmental organization can play an active role in transmitting Quan ho songs to the younger generations. Vietnam nstitute of Culture and Arts Studies and Vietnam Academy of Music conduct research and support communities to self-manage and self-implement the transmission and revival of traditional skills of Quan ho folk singing, design solutions for Quan ho singing to be enhanced by advanced audio equipment in contemporary society. To support communities to identify content for transmission of Quan ho songs in families, and open classes for communities in villages and communes. National Department of Cultural Heritage and Vietnam nstitute of Culture and Arts RL09 - No. 00183 - page 6 Studies will collaborate with the Bc Ninh and Bc Giang provincial Departments of Education and Training to build the local curriculum on Quan ho folk songs which will be taught in local literature programs in middle and high schools; to establish the faculty of Quan ho Bc Ninh folk songs in the School of Arts in the two provinces of Bc Ninh and Bc Giang. To expand information forums such as a regular column about Quan ho folk songs in Bc Ninh and Bc Giang newspapers and programming for radio and television stations of the two provinces; To use mobile information troupes to introduce the values of Quan ho Bc Ninh folk songs in villages; To set up a website on Quan ho folk songs. To raise the awareness of communities on the values of cultural heritage through the publication and production of cultural products relevant to Quan ho Bc Ninh culture and folk songs such as CDs, VCDs, DVDs, books, and brochures. To create opportunities for communities to perform and exchange Quan ho singing with other communities domestically and abroad. To cooperate with the tourism industry in the sustainable promotion of the values of Quan ho cultural heritage. "+ Res$onsib2e institutions an bu4et esti!ate5 Vietnam nstitute of Culture and Arts Studies is the responsible institution to develop the national action plan of safeguarding and promotion of Quan ho Bc Ninh folk songs, to implement and collaborate with Vietnam Academy of Music, local cultural management institutions, especially communities, artists, Association of Vietnamese Folklorists under the supervision of National Department of Cultural Heritage. The estimated budget for the national action plan from 2009-2013 to safeguard and promote the values of Quan ho folk songs is 2,000,000 US dollars. The schedule for the national action plan is as follows: 2009-2010: Transmit and teach Quan ho folk songs in families and communities; conduct research, collect, document, and restore customs and contexts of performance. 2011-2013: to develop a website for Quan ho folk songs, open classes within families and communities, training workshops for researchers on Quan ho folk songs, and to organize national and international conferences for the safeguarding and promotion of Quan ho folk songs. -+ Brie( in(or!ation on $riorit7 ai!s5 The priority aim of the project of safeguarding and promotion of Quan ho folk songs is to foster the transmission of Quan ho singing in the family and community level in the Quan ho villages: grandparents and parents orally transmit their songs and singing techniques to the children 9 years old of age and older. 6+%+ COMMTMENTS OF STATES AND OF COMMUNTES, GROUPS OR NDVDUALS CONCERNED: Quan ho Bc Ninh cultural heritage is protected by Vietnamese law on Cultural Heritage in the following articles: Article 9 (the state responsibilities to heritage); Article 17 (State policies create conditions for organizations and individuals to safeguard heritage); Article 18 (Local and central governmental responsibilities to heritage that is submitted to UNESCO for inscription); Article 20 (Safeguarding measures of heritage); Article 23 (nventory of intangible cultural heritage); Article 26 (Policies for artists and bearers of heritage); Article 55 (State unanimously manages heritage); Article 57 (State policies create conditions for non-governmental organizations to safeguard heritage); Article 58 (Financial resources for safeguarding heritage); Article 59 (priority of the financial budget RL09 - No. 00183 - page 7 for the heritage that is recognized by UNESCO); Article 63 (Commitment to the implement nternational Conventions); Article 65 (nternational collaboration to protect heritage); Article 71 and 72 (Dealing with infringement or misuse of heritage). Thus, pursuant to these articles, communities and local authorities and relevant institutions will develop and carry out short-term and long-term programs and plans to implement safeguarding measures (tem 4b). The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism considers Quan ho folk songs as an exceptionally important intangible cultural heritage, continues to allocate a budget from the national target programs on culture in the period of 2005 - 2010 to safeguard Quan ho heritage. The authority of B c Ninh province has ratified the project on the socialization of cultural activities up to 2010 in which the priority is for the safeguarding and promotion of Quan ho heritage. The authority of Bc Giang province has developed the Action Plan No 34, August 13, 2008 to safeguard and promote the values of Quan ho from 2008 to 2015. Communities, local authorities with the relevant institutions such as the Vietnam nstitute of Culture and Arts Studies, National Department of Cultural Heritage, Provincial Departments of Culture, Sports, and Tourism in the two provinces have identified safeguarding measures of Quan ho songs after it is inscribed (tem 4b). Communities of the two provinces have reaffirmed their desires and propose safeguarding measures of Quan ho folk songs in the conferences of artists dated November 10, 2005 in B c Ninh province, and July 15, 2008 in B c Giang province and in the inventory of Quan ho B c Ninh cultural heritage (see the Supplementary Documentation: Intangible Heritage Inventory: Quan ho !"# c $inh %olk &ong') Vietnam nstitute of culture and Arts Studies, Hanoi, 2008, and >ollection' o; B''ay' on Quan ho !"# c $inh %olk &ong', VCAS, Hanoi, 2008). 8+ COMMUNTY NVOLVEMENT AND CONSENT (CF. CRTERON R.4) 8+a+ PARTCPATON OF COMMUNTES, GROUPS AND NDVDUALS: Quan ho folk singing is a form of cultural activity practiced among Vit people in the two provinces of Bc Ninh and Bc Giang. The safeguarding and promotion of this intangible cultural heritage has always been supported by local communities. On March 8, 1962, 30 representatives of elderly Quan ho artists had a meeting in Bc Ninh to assess the work Quan ho !"#c $inh %olk &ong' published by researchers Luu Huu Phuoc, Nguyn Vn Phu, Tu Ngoc, and Nguyn Vim (1962). n the effort of establishing the list of the 49 Quan ho villages, local communities played an important role. This list was the result of collaboration between elderly artists and cultural managers in 1970s. This list was reported at a meeting of Quan ho artists on March 3, 1971. Subsequently, the list was reported at the Quan ho conference on May 14, 15, and 16, 1971 to cultural managers, scholars, and more than 50 artists in the Quan ho region. On November 10, 2005, a meeting of Quan ho Bc Ninh artists from Quan ho villages was held, and all participants agreed with the implementation of the candidature file of Quan ho Bc Ninh folk songs to be submitted to UNESCO. n 2008, after the inventory of Quan ho folk songs, the communities of the 49 Quan ho villages in the two provinces of Bc Ninh and Bc Giang once again consented to the policy of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to build up a file to submit to UNESCO for the representative list. July 15, 2008, the artists of five Quan ho villages in Bc Giang province had a meeting and signed on to the documents, giving their consent. n recent years, the communities involved in Quan ho folk singing have continued to maintain an important role in safeguarding the heritage. n families, the old generation has taught the young generations to continue the musical tradition. Many Quan ho classes have effectively been held in local communities. Each Quan ho village has its own club. Bc Ninh province has 30 Quan ho clubs at the moment and Bc Giang province has 4 Quan ho clubs. These clubs hold their activities voluntarily and not for profit without the financial support from the Government and they play an active role in the safeguarding and promotion of Quan ho heritage. The communities participate in the RL09 - No. 00183 - page 8 annual spring competition of Quan ho singing held by the two provincial Departments of Culture, Sports and Tourism. 8+b+ FREE, PROR AND NFORMED CONSENT: Quan ho Bc Ninh folk songs are closely linked with social practices, beliefs and ceremonies, and transmitted from this generation to the next. The people of the 49 villages always pay attention to safeguarding and protecting their local intangible heritage. n the conference "mplementation of the candidature file of Quan ho Bc Ninh folk songs to be submitted to UNESCO for Masterpiece of the Oral and ntangible Heritage of Humanity held on November 10, 2005 in Bc Ninh province, after listening to Decree No. 2608 dated May 9, 2005 by the Minister of Culture and nformation to prepare the candidature file of Quan ho Bc Ninh to be submitted to UNESCO read by Doctor Trn nh Luyn, the director of the Provincial Culture and nformation Department, and listening to the cultural values of Quan ho Bc Ninh folk songs presented by Doctor Nguyn Ch Bn, the director of nstitute of Culture and nformation, 222 Quan ho artists agreed with: "We, the people who have the names below, are Kinh (Vit) folk artists in the Quan ho Bc Ninh villages, consent to the submission of Quan ho Bc Ninh folk songs for Masterpiece of the Oral and ntangible Heritage of Humanity, and signed on to the agreement. n a meeting held on July 15, 2008, after listening to the policies of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and People Committee of Bc Giang province on the implementation of the candidature file of Quan ho Bc Ninh folk songs to be submitted to UNESCO for the representative list read by Mrs. Hong Thj Hoa, the director of Culture, Sports and Tourism department of Bc Giang province and Dr. Nguyn Ch Bn, the artists of five Quan ho villages in Bc Giang province consented to these policies by voting by show of their hands. n the inventory of Quan ho Bc Ninh folk songs in accordance to UNESCO's Convention for the Safeguarding of ntangible Cultural Heritage in April and May, 2008 in 44 Quan ho villages in Bc Ninh province, the local communities consented to the safeguarding and promoting this cultural heritage. On September 2-3, 2008, the group of researchers doing the inventory of the intangible heritage led by Doctor Bi Quang Thanh, the acting head of Department of Foreign Culture and Arts Studies, VCAS went to five Quan ho villages in Bc Giang province. n each village, the group of researchers had dialogues with the artists. After discussing on the values of Quan ho Bc Ninh folk songs, each village had one document, giving their consent. There were 220 artists of this performing art who agreed with: "We, the people who sign below, are practitioners of Quan ho Bc Ninh folk songs, voluntarily consent to the submission of Quan ho Bc Ninh folk songs to UNESCO for the representative list in 2008 by Vietnamese government. From September 4 to September 9, 2008, this group of researchers went to 44 Quan ho villages in Bc Ninh province and held discussions with the artists in each village on the values of Quan ho Bc Ninh folk songs. Each village had one document, giving their consent to the implementation of the Quan ho Bc Ninh to UNESCO for the representative list. 1490 artists in 44 Quan ho villages in Bc Ninh province signed a statement: "We, the people who sign below, are practitioners of Quan ho Bc Ninh folk songs, voluntarily consent to the siubmission of Quan ho Bc Ninh folk songs to UNESCO for the representative list in 2008 by Vietnamese government. (See the Supplementary Documentation: Intangible Heritage Inventory: Quan ho !"#c $inh %olk &ong') Vietnam nstitute of culture and Arts Studies, Hanoi, 2008. All of these documents that the artists signed in 2005 and 2008 are archived at VCAS). 8+%+ RESPECT FOR CUSTOMARY PRACTCES GOVERNNG ACCESS: The Vietnamese Government's submission of the Quan ho Bc Ninh folk songs to UNESCO's representative list forms one of the Government's policies to build an advanced culture imbued with national identities, and to foster respect for the cultural identity of Viet Nam's different regions and ethnic groups. The friendship custom between villages and friend-making custom between groups of singers, beliefs relevant to Quan ho singing, festivals and ceremonies in the 49 villages are all respected. Quan ho artists are RL09 - No. 00183 - page 9 encouraged and free in their performances. Vietnamese and foreigners are free to communicate with practitioners of Quan ho Bc Ninh folk songs. There are at least two international doctoral dissertations written about Quan ho folk songs (see 7.c). Quan ho singers not only perform songs in their villages but also in the other areas. 9+ NCLUSON ON AN NVENTORY (CF. CRTERON R.5): Quan ho Bc Ninh folk songs have been collected since before 1954 by many generations of collectors who documented, transcribed songs in Western notation and recorded many Quan ho folk songs. n the collections of Viet Nam folk songs and books on the history of Vietnamese literature published from 1954 until now, they all have written and shown inventories of Quan ho folk songs. Since 2002, the former Ministry of Culture and nformation (now the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) implemented a policy to conduct general research on intangible heritage in Bc Ninh and Bc Giang provinces. Quan ho folk songs are one of the intangible heritage forms that belongs to this program. n November 2005, the nstitute of Culture and nformation cooperated with Bc Ninh and Bc Giang Departments of Culture and nformation to conduct a survey on the framework of the national program on culture. From March to July 2008, the Vietnam nstitute of Culture and Arts Studies conducted an inventory of Quan ho folk songs in the 49 villages following UNESCO guidelines. Quan ho folk songs are included in the list of Vietnamese intangible heritage by the Vietnam nstitute of Culture and Arts Studies. :+ DOCUMENTATON :+a+ REQURED AND SUPPLEMENTARY DOCUMENTATON: Primary materials Supplementary materials Photos 10 30 Video - one 10 minute DVD - one 10 minute DVCAM - one 60 minute DVD - one 60 minute DVCAM - one 60 minute DAT Audio - one 60 minute Audio CD Maps 3 Books 3 :+b+ CESSON OF RGHTS: Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism grants UNESCO the non-exclusive rights to use, publish, reproduce, distribute, display, communicate or make available to the public, the enclosed materials (see annex) in any language or form and by any means including digital, in whole or in part. We grant these rights to UNESCO irrevocably, for an unlimited period of time and for the entire world. :+%+ LST OF ADDTONAL RESOURCES: In Chinese 2an4ua4e: Pham Xun Lc, 1920. !"#c $inh Donogra?h (hand writing). France: Library of Asian Studies Association, 6 volumes, No. 2167.H.M. In Vietna!ese 2an4ua4e5 RL09 - No. 00183 - page 10 Chu Ngoc Chi, 1928. Ht Quan h EQuan h &ingingF. Hanoi: Thuy Ky published. Minh Truc, 1937. Ht Quan h EQuan ho 'ingingF. Hanoi: Trung Bc Tn vn, ssues no. 5962, 5963, 5964, 5967, 5969, 5971, 5974, 5976. Luu Huu Phuoc, Nguyn Vim, Tu Ngoc, Nguyn Vn Phu, 1962. G6n ca Quan h !Cc $inh EQuan ho !"#c $inh %olk &ong'FA Hanoi: Cultural publishing House. Many authors, 1972. Mt s vn d dn ca quan ho Bc Ninh [Some issues on Quan ho folk songs]. Department of Culture of Ha Bc province. ng Vn Lung, Trn Linh Quy, Hng Thao, 1978. Quan h) nguHn g+c vI 4u trJnh ?ht triKn EQuan ho) @rigin an3 Gevelo?=entFA Hanoi: Social Sciences Publisher. Hng Thao, 1997. G6n ca Quan h EQuan ho %olk &ong'FA Hanoi: Musical Publishing House. L Danh Khim, 2001. Dn ca Quan ho, li ca v bnh gii [Quan ho Folk Songs, Lyrics and Comments]. Bc Ninh: Center for Quan ho Culture. Nguyn Trong nh, 2005. $hLng M-c MiK= ngh7 thuNt Quan h EOhe >haracteri'tic' o; Quan ho Prt'FA PhD. Dissertation. Hanoi: Vietnam Academy of Music. Many authors, 2006. QhRng gian v"n hSa Quan h !Cc $inh) bo tHn vI ?ht huy EOhe &?ace o; Quan ho !"#c $inh >ulture) &a;eguar3ing an3 <ro=otion, The proceedings of nternational Conference held by Ministry of Culture and nformation and Bc Ninh province People Committee in Hanoi, March, 2006 Hanoi: nstitute of Culture and nformation and Bc Ninh Department of Culture and nformation. Fren%h Nguyn Vn Huyn (1934), Les chants alterns des garons et des filles en Annam. Paris: Libr. P. Geuthner. Trn Vn Kh, 1987. A Propos d'un chant quan ho de la province de Bc Ninh. Paris: Revue Musicale, No 402-405. En42ish Le Ngoc Chan, 2002. Quan h &inging in $orth ,ietna=: P Tearning ;or Ue'olution. Ph.D. Dissertation. Berkeley: University of California in Berkeley. Lauren Meeker, 2007. Musical Transmissions: Folk Music, Mediation and Modernity in Northern Vietnam, Ph.D. Dissertation. New York: Columbia University. #+ CONTACT NFORMATON #+a+ SUBMTTNG STATE PARTY: Viet Nam #+b+ CONTACT PERSON FOR CORRESPONDENCE: ;e7 %onta%t5 Mrs. L Thj Minh L, Vice Director, National Department of Cultural Heritage, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Address: 51-53 Ng Quyn St., Hon Kim district, Hanoi. Phone: +84.4.9436129; Fax: +84.4.9439929; Mobile: +84.913591266; Email: minhly@dch.gov.vn; lethiminhly@gmail.com. Other %onta%ts5 Mr. H Minh Tun, Vice Secretary General, Vietnam UNESCO Committee; Address: 8, Khuc Hao St., Ba inh District, Hanoi; Phone: +84.4.1993605, Mobile: +84.913593253; Email: unesco.tuanhm@mofa.gov.vn Mr. Nguyn Chi Bn, Member, National Heritage Council; Director, Vietnam nstitute of RL09 - No. 00183 - page 11 Culture and Arts Studies (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism); Address: 32, Hao Nam St., Cho Dua Ward, ng a District, Hanoi; Phone: +84.4.5116460; Mobile: +84.913211008; Email: vncvhnt@fpt.vn RL09 - No. 00183 - page 12 #+%+ COMPETENT BODY NVOLVED: Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Address: 51-53, Ng Quyn St., Hoan Kim District, Hanoi. Phone: +84.4.9438231; Fax: +84.4.9439009. National Department of Cultural Heritage; Address: 51-53, Ng Quyn St., Hoan Kim District, Hanoi. Phone: +84.4.9436129; Email: dsvh@dch.gov.vn Vietnam nstitute of Culture and Arts Studies; Address: 32, Hao Nam St., Cho Dua ward, ng a District, Hanoi; Phone: +84.4.5116460, +84.4.8569160; Email: vncvhnt@fpt.vn. Website: www.vicas.org.vn People Committee of Bc Ninh province; Address: 4, Ph ng Thin Vuong St., Bc Ninh city, Bc Ninh province; Phone: +84.241.822470; Fax: +84.241.822492. Website: www.bacninh.gov.vn Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Bc Ninh province; Address: 15, L Thi T St., Bc Ninh city, Bc Ninh province; Phone: +84.241.822532; Fax: +84.241.822532; Email: sovhttdlbacninh@yahoo.com.vn Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Bc Giang province; Address: 74 Nguyn Thj Luu St., Bc Giang city, Bc Giang province; Phone: +84.240.856310; Fax: +84.240.856310 #++ CONCERNED COMMUNTY ORGANZATON(S) OR REPRESENTATVE(S): Association of Vietnamese Folklorists; Address: E1, 29 Alley, Ta Quang Bu St., Hai B Trung District, Hanoi; Phone: +84.4.8693280; Fax: +84.4.8682607 Branch of Association of Vietnamese Folklorists in Bc Ninh province. Address: 366 Ng Gia Tu St., Tin An ward, Bc Ninh city, Bc Ninh province; Phone: +84.241.820940. Branch of Association Vietnamese Folklorists in Bc Giang province. Address: 63 Nguyn Vn C St., Bc Giang city, Bc Giang province; Phone: +84.240.854480. Heads of the 49 Quan ho villages (enclosed list). Quan ho Bc Ninh artists clubs. '+ SGNATURE ON BEHALF OF THE STATE PARTY: <signed> RL09 - No. 00183 - page 13