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Van Coc - an ancient village along Cau River

(BGO) - Van Coc is an ancient village of the ancient Hoang Mai canton (now Van Trung commune, Viet Yen district, Bac Giang province). This place preserves many heritages such as the system of religious works, communal houses, temples, pagodas, traditional festivals, customs, and folk arts. Van Coc is also an ancient quan ho (love duet) village on the northern bank of the Cau River.

The cultural heritage of Van Coc village is a demonstration of the land with a long historical and cultural tradition imbued with the imprints of an ancient Vietnamese village on the northern bank of the Cau River. In addition to tangible cultural heritage, Van Coc also preserves diverse and rich intangible cultural heritage.

Van Coc village, ancient village, Cau River, Bac Giang province, religious works, communal houses, traditional festivals, ancient quan ho village

The Van Coc village quan ho club's members sing on the communal house’s lake.

The annual traditional festival of Van Coc village is held on the 16th, 17th and 18th days of the second lunar month not only to honour the merit of the village tutelary god, but also to make a venue for organizing folk games. Especially, it has been serving as the ancient quan ho singing space for male and female singers in the village for many generations.

As an ancient Vietnamese village where many ethnic cultural heritages converge, that Van Coc is an ancient quan ho village is also understandable. Here there is a space of quan ho singing activities, with folk artisans who understand the old-age style and customs of singing quan ho.

Nguyen Thi Toan, 80, head of the Van Coc village quan ho club, said previously, there were many folk artisans singing quan ho in the village such as Nguyen Thi Dang (born in 1916), Duong Ngo Ve (born in 1919) and Nguyen Thi Nga (born in 1919)...

On the occasion of Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday and festivals, the village’s quan ho singers went to sing in all festivals in the northern bank region as well as join art exchange programmes on the southern bank of the Cau River together with male and female signers in Diem, Vat and Lim regions (now in Bac Ninh province). 

On the northern bank of the Cau River, there are Nenh and Lang Thuong regions. Toan herself was also taught how to sing ancient quan ho songs by her mother, Nguyen Thi Nga, since she was small.

Since ancient times, Van Coc has gathered many cultural factors and ways to play and sing the ancient quan ho songs from other quan ho villages in Diem, Chan Khe and Yen Phong regions (Bac Ninh) on the southern bank of the Cau River.

Duong Van Phuong, a quan ho male singer of Van Coc village, said: “Quan ho folk singing in Van Coc village has been existing for a long time and by the beginning of the 20th century, there were quan ho players here. However, in the years of 1948-1954, quan ho singing in Van Coc village as well as many other villages was interrupted. However, some people in the village still loved, played and sang quan ho when possible. Until the 1960s, the quan ho singing movement in Van Coc really flourished".

Since Viet Yen district organized a quan ho singing playground, Van Coc village has had male and female singers winning high prizes. In 2001, Van Coc village won the second prize in the team event. Doan Thi Xay and Nguyen Thi Hong won the B Prize for their ancient quan ho song "Ba Vi". In 2018, quan ho female singers of Van Coc village bagged a B prize for the ancient quan ho song "Doi ta nhu ngai Phan Tran"...

Van Coc village, ancient village, Cau River, Bac Giang province, religious works, communal houses, traditional festivals, ancient quan ho village

Members of the Van Coc village quan ho club often organize exchanges and maintain singing activities.

In 2006, the Van Coc village quan ho club was established with 20 members who are interested in the Quan ho folk songs and collecting ancient songs. The club consists of male and female singers who have been singing for many years. They are also the generation inheriting the tradition of their predecessors in the village.

Through the activities of the club, folk artisans, male and female singers in the village have participated in collecting quan ho songs and educating young people, as well as directly introducing quan ho folk songs to visitors.

In recent years, quan ho singing activities in Van Coc village have been maintained regularly with the involvement of many generations. Experienced singers have guided how to sing ancient quan ho songs for beginners.

The Van Coc village quan ho club has been actively teaching Quan ho folk songs to teenagers and children in the locality in order to preserve and maintain the nation’s cultural heritage.

Artisan Hoac Cong Cho whole-heartedly dedicate to ancient Quan ho
(BGO) – The year 2019 marks 10 year period UNESCO recognized Quan ho (love duet folk singing) as the intangible cultural heritage of the humanity. For a decade, Bac Giang province has achieved positive results in preserving and promoting the value of Quan ho. The artisans or “the living treasures” have dramatic contribution to the general achievement, including the People’s artisan Hoac Cong Cho.
 
Bac Giang’s achievements in preserving and promoting Quan ho, Ca tru
(BGO) - On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of Quan ho (love duet singing) and Ca tru (ceremonial singing) recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritages of humanity, the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has just held a scientific conference on "Preserving and promoting Quan ho and Ca tru in Bac Giang province”. 
 
Bac Giang to celebrate 10th anniversary of UNESCO recognition of Quan ho and Ca tru singing
(BGO) – On August 22, Vice Chairman of the Bac Giang provincial People’s Committee Le Anh Duong, Head of the Organization Board for the 10th anniversary of UNESCO recognition of Quan ho (love duet singing) and Ca tru (ceremonial singing) as the intangible culture heritage of humanity as well as the second ceremony to bestow title of People’s Artist and Meritorious artist in the field of intangible cultural heritage in 2019 chaired a meeting to finalize the instruction and implementation.
 
Bac Giang mobilizes resources to preserve, expand cultural atmosphere of Quan Ho and Ca Tru
(BGO)- The Department of Culture, Sport and Tourism (DCST) of Bac Giang province held a conference on 20 August themed “Preserving and promoting Quan Ho (love duet singing) and Ca Tru (ceremonial singing) in Bac Giang province” at the provincial Convention Center. This activity is included in the sequence of events to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Quan Ho and Ca Tru recognised by UNESCO as the intangible cultural heritages of humanity. 
 
Teaching Cheo and Quan ho folk singing
(BGO) – The Center of Culture, Information and Sports of Bac Giang city joined hand with the Center of Culture and Cinema in Bac Giang province and the People’s Committee in Hoang Van Thu ward to organize the course to teach Cheo (traditional opera) and Quan ho (Love duet) singing to the grass root art talents in 2019.
 

Dong Ngoc Duong

Van Coc village, ancient village, Cau River, Bac Giang province, religious works, communal houses, traditional festivals, ancient quan ho village
 
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