On the 80th anniversary of Vietnam’s National Day September 2, the area nearby Nghia Long lake (in Bac Giang ward) became a cultural rendezvous luring thousands of locals to enjoy the art programme themed “Sum hop truc mai” (Friends gathering) co-organised by Bac Ninh Quan ho Theatre, Bac Ninh Cheo Theatre and the provincial Center for Culture and Tourism promotion.

A water puppet performance at 3/2 square.

A meticulously designed stage on the lake bank and 5 dragon boats on the lake created a combination of ancient and modern space.

In the sparkling space where the lights were reflecting on the water’s surface, the artists and “lien anh, lien chi” (male and female quan ho singers) raised their voices in sweet melodies of cheo and quan ho, delighting the audience.

“It has been a long time since I last heard quan ho singing on boats in the heart of the city. I felt as if I were in the atmosphere of Lim festival, which is familiar and deeply imbued with the essence of my homeland”, said Than Thi Doan, a woman from Da Mai ward among the queues of people around the lake.

During the national independence holidays, the puppetry artisans from Luy Lau Water Puppetry Troupe (Song Lieu ward) brough special water puppet performances to the 3/2 square (Bac Giang ward) and the Bac Ninh Museum No 2 (Kinh Bac ward).

Opening with the witty “chu Teu,” the show unfolded with lively folk scenes such as ploughing, fish catching, chasing foxes and catching ducks and playful dialogues, drumbeats and the sweet melodies of quan ho, creating a vibrant yet poetic atmosphere that drew endless applauses.

“Enthusiastic cheers from the audiences made us very excited. It motivated the members to continue stimulate creativity and preserve this unique form of folk stage art”, said artisan Nguyen Thanh Lai, Leader of Luy Lau Water Puppetry Troupe.

Similarly, the space for traditional art performance at the OCOP product trade fair at Ngo Gia Tu park featured unique charm, retaining visitors.

Remarkably, Bac Ninh brought the National Achievement Exhibition taking place from August 28 to September 15 at the Vietnam Exposition Centre with a series of folk culture experiencing activities.

Particularly, the performance of Dong Ho folk painting, printing Vinh Nghiem pagoda woodblocks, introduction of traditional cuisine, quan ho, ca tru and then singing performances helped to spread Kinh Bac culture to domestic and international friends.

In recent years, the localities in the province have regularly organised cultural and art programmes to enhance the people’s spiritual life, where the folk arts are the highlights and receive great cheers by the public.

The folk-art programmes held recently have been a dramatic highlight in the colourful picture of Bac Ninh culture. Folk art is making a strong comeback in current life, offering the community a fresh and familiar “food for soul”.

Quan ho performance on boat.

According to the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the province has organized hundreds of performances introducing folk heritages at grassroots events since early 2025.

The unique genres of art such as quan ho, cheo, water puppet, ca tru and trong quan singing, presented at the festivals and big events, gave people special “cultural parties”.

Behind the captivating programmes and performances are tireless efforts of artisans and artists to “keep the flame alive”, renew and spread the heritage values to a wide range of audiences.

Bac Ninh currently has 7 UNESCO-recognised heritages, 33 national intangible ones and nearly 1,400 traditional festivals. These are invaluable treasures while entailing a great responsibility in preservation and promotion.

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