Vietnam’s two cultural treasures of ‘Quan Ho Bac Ninh’ singing (Bac Ninh folk love duet) and Ca Tru (ceremonial singing) yesterday received UNESCO certificates recognising as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding respectively.
UNESCO Hanoi’s Representative and Head of Office Katherine Marin-Muller handed over the certificates to provincial leaders of Bac Ninh, the homeland of Quan Ho and leaders of 15 cities and provinces where the art of Ca Tru now is still preserved.
“I am amazed at how the Vietnamese people cherish and truly enjoy their music, their poetry, and their cultural and artistic expression,” said Katherine Marin-Muller.
“Vietnam is so active, so committed in showing the world your best treasure and sharing them without tiring. Therefore, I am sure that by now the national and international community can easily identify many of Vietnam’s cultural expressions, including Quan Ho folk songs and Ca Tru singing, she added.”
Quan Ho folk songs were inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity and Ca Tru singing was inscribed on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Safeguarding in August 2009 during the convention of the Intergovernmental Committee for Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Abu Dhabi.
Also at the ceremony, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism publicised a national action programme to preserve two UNESCO-recognised forms of Vietnamese folk singing in the 2010-2015 period.
According to the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Hoang Tuan Anh, the action programme will look towards raising the communities’ awareness and capacity in preserving and promoting the unique value of these two cultural treasures.
