The Lim festival dedicated to Quan Ho (traditional love duet singing)kicked off in the northern province of Bac Ninh on February 21.

The annual spring festival attracted thousands of people who came from all corners of the country.

Performances by local amateur artists are being held over two days onLim hill in Tien Du district where the Lim pagoda is located. Thepagoda is dedicated to Hieu Trung Hau, who invented Quan Ho.

Professional singers from the Bac Ninh provincial Cultural Centre andthe Bac Ninh Quan Ho Troupe will also perform on February 21 and 22nights.

Besides Quan Ho singing, an array of folk gamesare organised to entertain visitors like bamboo swinging, wrestling,cock fighting, earthenware pot breaking, human chess and blind man’sbluff.

The love duet singing, which was inscribed in theUNESCO's representative list of intangible cultural heritage ofhumanity in September 2009, is an art form combining various elements,including music, lyrics, costume and a unique style of singing thatreflects the close relationship between the singers. The rich anddiverse tunes and fine lyrics of the songs portray the zest for lifeand distinctive cultural features of people in the region formerlycalled Kinh Bac.-VNA