It has been more than 10 years since “Quan ho” or love duet singing was recognized by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage of humanity. The folk art has been well preserved and developed in its cradle, Bac Ninh province. This is attributed to the province’s efforts in conserving their traditional art genre.

Nguyen Thi Them is among the first artists having been awarded the artisan title in Bac Ninh province. With more than 40 years of experience, she has now taught Quan ho to many young local people. Realising its policy of honoring artisans in the field of intangible cultural heritage, including traditional folk singing, since 2009, Bac Ninh province has honoured 71 Quan Ho artists. Each artisan is awarded a certificate, a 5 million VND bonus, monthly financial assistance and many other supports. Bac Ninh is the first and the only locality in the country to provide a monthly support policy for artisans as well as annual operating funding for the quan ho villages and clubs. This positive move is expected to help Bac Ninh province to preserve and further develop Quan Ho folk singing./.