Useful playground

The Facebook fanpage “Traditional village Quan ho Bon” was founded by Kha and Quan ho lovers over two years ago in Dai Son village, Minh Duc commune to preserve and promote cultural value of the love duet folk song.

Members of Quan ho Club in Minh Duc commune (Viet Yen district) at a practicing session.

As the explanation of the local elderly, the group of Quan ho performers used to be called “Quan ho Bon” in the past instead of Club as nowadays. There were several Quan ho Bon in a village for both male and female.

The Quan ho Club in Minh Duc commune had nearly 10 members at first, mostly from Dai Son village who knew to sing ancient Quan ho melodies. Particularly, Kha can play 250 – 300 ancient songs and his wife is also a member of the fanpage.

Since 2008 when Viet Yen district organized Quan ho festival, the founders of “Traditional village Quan ho Bon” has gained more chance to exchange and share experience as well as explore the Quan ho charming toward more professional performance.

Acknowledging the meaning and unique feature of the fanpage, many people in and outside the province of all strata like farmers, retired officials, public carders, staff and business persons wished to join it. Some are Vietnamese people living and working in foreign countries.

Particularly, the fanpage also attracts many Quan ho artists and artisans, cultural researchers and experts who assist and support to share about the fine, beauty and method of performance to all members.

The fanpage organizes an online performance of ancient Quan ho for about 120 – 150 minutes in every two or three months at the house of the Head or Bo Da pagoda, the yard of communal house or Bac Ninh province to entertain people.

From the first 10 members, now the fanpage has attracted some 1,800 participants.

Heritage promotion

For over two years, the members have gathered together in the evening of every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday to exchange, discuss and perform on Facebook. The couples, teams and groups demanding to take performance must register in advance so that the fanpage manager can establish the right to access and post on the facebook.

Each performance normally lasts for about 60 – 90 minutes which provides members chance to enjoy the show, exchange experience and suggestion for better Quan ho singing as well as understand more about special feature of the love duet folk song.

Vice Director of Viet Yen district Center of Culture, Information and Sport Duong Thi Hoai Thu regularly support the professional activities of the fanpage. She said there are many Quan ho singing teams and clubs on social networks but “Traditional village Quan ho Bon” follows a special and unique operation way. It is really useful to preserve the ancient Quan ho melodies with strong widespread to community”.

Particularly, when Covid-19 outbroke last year in Bac Giang, the clubs could not meet for exchanging and teaching. But members of “Traditional village Quan ho Bon” maintained normal interaction. The vibrantly melodies proved solidarity and prosperous spirit to fight back the pandemic.

Thanks to the fanpage activity, many strangers become friends who often share and reveal their stories to encourage and inspire others.

Amid the strong development of information technology era, the exploitation of social network benefit in preserving and promoting the heritage value like “Traditional village Quan ho Bon” is a good and creative model to be spread.

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