The rice paper making craft in Tho Ha village, Van Ha commune (formerly Viet Yen township, now part of Van Ha ward) has existed hundreds of years. The village’s products made by creative and skillful artisans have been passed down through generations.

A cheo art performance serving tourists at Ba Chua Kho temple.

In order to create good-quality rice papers, craftsmen have to perform many meticulous steps. Tho Ha rice paper is a renowned specialty, which has been widely consumed across the country and exported. Currently, the village is home to hundreds of rice paper making households earning good income.

The development of traditional handicrafts in line with typical relic systems such as communal houses, temples and pagoda in Tho Ha have brought enormous potentials for tourism development in this land.

Drying step is an important secret to decide quality of Tho Ha rice paper.

Soong co is unique genre of folk singing that is closely tied to the spiritual life of the San Diu ethnic community in Luc Ngan district, now part of the wards and communes of Phuong Son, Chu, Luc Ngan, Kien Lao, and Nam Duong.

Soong co means “singing”. The simple but poetic songs with profound and emotional melodies are a way for young men and women to express their love, for parents to teach their children about ethical values and for the community to tighten the solidarity.

Local people often sing soong co songs on special occasions like festival, wedding or new house celebrating. Opening melodies are normally gentle then gradually building in emotion until they reach a passionate climax, creating a special fascination for listeners.

Soong co is special not only for its melodies but also flexible and creative performances. Each duet couple can sing overnight, showing their talent in responding, intelligence and broad range of linguistic expression.

This is considered a “key” to preserve language and scripts of San Diu ethnic group in modern life.

The cheo art of Bac Ninh province is a part of Vietnamese traditional cheo art, which has a long history attached to the cultural life of northern delta region.

San Diu ethnic people in Luc Ngan commune exchange Soong co singing.

The classical cheo operas and surviving excerpts vividly reflect the social life, customs, and aspirations of Kinh Bac people in different historical periods.

Cheo is often performed at festivals and communal celebrations, serving as an indispensable part of the community’s cultural life.

The recognition of soong co folk singing, Bac Ninh cheo singing and Tho Ha rice paper making craft as national intangible cultural heritages contributes to affirming the special local cultural values and opening up more opportunities for the province to preserve, promote and effectively tap the potentials of the heritages to develop community-based tourism and build up cultural life of the new-style rural areas.

Efforts for everlasting cheo melodies

BAC GIANG- Bac Giang is one the homes to the heritage of cheo (Vietnamese traditional opera) with many active cheo clubs. In order to preserve this unique traditional folk art, the province has made great efforts to develop the cheo singing and performance movement in the community, contributing to preserving and promoting the value of this national intangible cultural heritage.

Cheo singing – a traditional Vietnamese cultural art

In the treasure trove of the nation's folk culture and art, Cheo singing (Vietnamese traditional opera) is a type of theater rich in national identity. It combines various elements such as singing, dancing, music, and drama into a uniquely integrated form.

 

Unique Tho Ha festival

BAC GIANG - In lunar January, hundreds of traditional festivals take place in Bac Giang province. With its unique and rich cultural features, especially the typical procession of Kinh Bac region, Tho Ha festival in Van Ha commune (Viet Yen township) was recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2012.

Nearly 600 performers join Quan Ho folk singing contest in Bac Ninh

A Quan Ho Folk Singing Competition took place in the northern province of Bac Ninh from March 2 to 4, gathering around 580 instrumentalists, performers and vocalists from eight community art troupes and 58 Quan Ho villages from both inside and outside the province.

Ceremony marks 10th anniversary of UNESCO recognition of Nghe Tinh Vi-Giam folk singing

A ceremony was held in Vinh City, in the central province of Nghe An, on November 23, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Nghe Tinh Vi-Giam folk singing’s recognition as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (November 27, 2014–2024).