Thousands of local people and visitors have flocked to Tien Du district in the northern province of Bac Ninh to attend the Lim festival, which honours Quan Ho (love duet singing) – the world intangible cultural heritage recognised by UNESCO. The annual festival takes place on February 27-28 or the 12th and 13th days of the Lunar New Year. The Lim festival contributes to preserving the locality’s traditional cultural values and promoting images and tourism potential of Bac Ninh. Tran Duc Tue, a festival-goer from Nam Dinh province said “Lim festival is a very unique event in Bac Ninh province. I find that local people are hospitable and Quan ho singers sing very well.” Quan Ho is an art form that combines various elements, including music, lyrics and costumes, and features the distinctive culture of people in the region formerly called Kinh Bac. The art of love duets was inscribed in UNESCO’s representative list of intangible cultural heritage in September 2009. -VNA