Two Sides of Life

Originating in the 13th century as a pastime for the royal aristocracy, traditional Vietnamese opera (hat boi) gradually infiltrated the lives of the people, becoming a spiritual and cultural value deeply ingrained in the lifestyles of the people of Southern Vietnam in general and Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City in particular.

Hát bội, also known as hát tuồng, is a popular form of folk theater in all three regions of Vietnam. The period from 1848 to 1883, during the reign of Emperor Tự Đức, is considered the golden age of this art form. According to research by People's Artist Đinh Bằng Phi, the development of hát bội is clearly reflected in rural life and in the lifestyle of the emperors in the royal court. In particular, the play "Two Sides of Life" by the Ho Chi Minh City Traditional Opera Theatre continues to perform at the Mausoleum of General Le Van Duyet (Binh Thanh District) and the Saigon Zoo (District 1) every weekend. Before each performance, the theatre often organizes interactive sessions on character makeup, traditional musical instrument performances, etc., so that audiences can learn about and appreciate this unique traditional art form. Vietnam.vn invites you to enjoy images of characters in traditional opera from the play "Two Sides of Life" by author Thi Tho Doan. The author submitted this photo collection to the "Happy Vietnam" photo and video contest, organized by the Ministry of Information and Communications . The art of mask-making in traditional Vietnamese opera (Hát Bội) is essentially about depicting the appearance of characters symbolically. Actors must put in a lot of effort to learn how to apply makeup and paint masks for themselves according to each role and type of character. Each color depicted on the face or displayed on the performance costumes carries its own meaning, reflecting the character's personality as either "gentle" or "wicked". Here are some "secrets" to understanding and recognizing the characters on the traditional Vietnamese opera stage: the red background of the face represents a loyal and virtuous hero; pale white represents a treacherous and flattering official; black represents a simple, straightforward, and hot-tempered but honest and truthful person; pale gray represents an elderly person; and green symbolizes cunning and deceitful individuals, demons, and evil spirits… Drawing circles around the eyes also has many different meanings: slanted circles indicate a young martial artist (the child of a general), while vertical circles indicate a military general. A face with many stripes indicates a wicked person, a bandit, or a heretic. A curly black beard indicates a fierce, hot-tempered person. A short beard (black or red) suggests a humorous person. A mouse-like beard indicates a talkative, impulsive person. A continuous, multicolored beard, in particular, comes in three colors: black – a deceitful flatterer; silver – a heroic veteran; and red – a treacherous general, a sorcerer, or a witch.

Thus, faces painted in traditional Vietnamese opera with distinct shades and contrasting colors are often used for the faces of military generals, strong-willed, fierce, or special characters. Faces painted with neutral, gentle shades are usually used for the faces of elderly scholars, woodcutters, women, and children... In 2024, the "Happy Vietnam" photo and video contest will continue to be organized by the Ministry of Information and Communications in collaboration with the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists on the website.   https://happy.vietnam.vn is open to all Vietnamese citizens and foreigners aged 15 and above. The competition aims to honor individuals and groups with positive informational products that make practical contributions to promoting a beautiful image of Vietnam to the world. Through this, it helps people at home, overseas Vietnamese, and international friends access authentic images of Vietnam, its people, its achievements in ensuring human rights, and working towards a happy Vietnam. Each competition category (photos and videos) has the following prizes and prize values: – 1 Gold Medal: 70,000,000 VND – 2 Silver Medals: 20,000,000 VND – 3 Bronze Medals: 10,000,000 VND – 10 Consolation Prizes: 5,000,000 VND – 1 Most Voted entry: 5,000,000 VND. Winning authors will be invited by the Organizing Committee to attend the Award Ceremony and Certificate Presentation, broadcast live on Vietnam Television.

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