The birth place of quan ho folk songs is in Ha Bac province. During village festivals, which are held every year, particularly in spring, young men and women gather in the yard of a communal house or pagoda, on a hill or in a rowing boat, and sing quan ho. This is a style of singing where songs alternate from group to group, going back and forth from one to the other.

    Quan ho singing is a folk art of highly collective nature. Those who sing are not entertainers, but all are part of the performance, and everyone is welcome to join.