Vietnamese history in 'Nam Viet Emperor - Ten Thousand Springs'

Held every three years, the National Cheo Art Festival is an opportunity to honor and preserve the art of Cheo and to discover and affirm new talents and creations. During the Festival, Thai Nguyen Cheo has left many memorable marks. Continuing to choose historical themes, in 2025, the Thai Nguyen Province Ethnic Arts Troupe will participate in the Festival with the Cheo play "Nam Viet De - Van Mua Xuan".

Musicians in a rehearsal of the play "Nam Viet Emperor - Ten Thousand Spring"

In 1995, for the first time, Thai Nguyen Cheo made a big splash on the national stage with the play "Duyen van ba sinh". After a period of silence on the "big playgrounds", in 2019, Thai Nguyen Cheo Troupe made an impressive return at the National Cheo Festival held in Bac Ninh (formerly Bac Giang province) with the play "Huyen thuy song va nui". Continuing the success, at the National Cheo Festival in 2022, Thai Nguyen Cheo Art Troupe participated with the play "Luu Xa - a time of fire and flowers".

As scheduled, the 2025 National Cheo Festival will be a continuation of the generation of artists from veteran names to young actors. This is also the first and important festival after the merger of two art centers of the old Thai Nguyen and Bac Kan provinces into the Thai Nguyen Province Ethnic Arts Troupe.

Choosing a historical theme, the cheo play “Nam Viet De - Van Mua Xuan” directed by People's Artist Le Tuan Cuong, Deputy Director of the National Traditional Theater, was built “with national spiritual emotions” to pay tribute to our ancestors.

People's Artist Le Tuan Cuong shared: Having accompanied Thai Nguyen Cheo for many years, I really want to conquer the historical theme in this land. The purpose of bringing historical themes into Cheo art is not only to serve the National Cheo Festival in 2025, but also to introduce and promote to the people of the whole country about Thai Nguyen homeland, as well as the historical spirit and national sovereignty from the beginning.

Artists practice the play "Nam Viet Emperor - Ten Thousand Spring Seasons".

Mr. Quan Anh Tuan, Deputy Director of the Provincial Ethnic Arts Troupe, said: When starting to perform a Cheo play with the "weight" of history, the artists in the troupe all had their own pressures. Because in the long flow of Vietnamese history, there are names that have become symbols of the will for independence, the spirit of autonomy and the desire for the longevity of the race. One of those typical characters is Ly Nam De - the first person to declare himself emperor in our country's history, giving birth to the independent state of Van Xuan in the early 6th century. The artists have researched documents, pondered over each line and seriously practiced with the hope that the character would not only be correct in form but also touch the psychological depth and spirit of the national hero of Thai Nguyen - Ly Nam De.

Meritorious Artist Van Tinh was “chosen” to play the role of Ly Nam De. According to him, when accepting the role, he felt a special state of mind - both honored, proud and inevitably under special pressure. Because, to complete the role, the artist must not only transform into a character of historical stature, but also shoulder the responsibility of conveying the national spirit through each line of dialogue and gesture when standing on stage.

The Cheo play “Nam Viet De - Van Mua Xuan” is a profound gratitude to the ancestors who worked hard to build the independence of the country. Despite the difficulties and pressures, the spirit of dedication, responsibility and national pride of the artists, actors and musicians of the Thai Nguyen Province Ethnic Arts Troupe rises above all. All are ready to shine in the 2025 National Cheo Arts Festival taking place in November in Bac Ninh Province.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/202509/dong-su-viet-trong-nam-viet-de-van-mua-xuan-f5d3511/