Art is a commodity, not everyone can buy it.

(CLO) Xuan Hinh – the name has become a monument in the comedy and traditional stage arts of Vietnam. Few people know that, to have a solid position like today, he has gone through a difficult journey, from the days of hard work to the nights of performances that made the audience laugh.

The journey from a boy who loves folk songs to "the king of comedy in the North"

Born with a passion for singing, Xuan Hinh showed his talent from a very young age. When he was only 11-12 years old, he was fascinated by folk melodies on the Voice of Vietnam radio . Every noon, at exactly 11:30, the boy Hinh rushed home to listen to the melodies of his homeland.

In 1977, while still in high school, Xuan Hinh was admitted to the Bac Ninh Quan Ho Folk Song Troupe (now the Bac Ninh Quan Ho Folk Song Theatre). After more than 6 years of working with the Folk Song Troupe in his hometown, in 1983, Xuan Hinh became interested in the art of Cheo. He registered for the entrance exam to the Hanoi University of Theatre and Cinema and was admitted to his own surprise. From then on, Xuan Hinh began his journey of studying Folk Songs and Quan Ho in depth.

Artist Xuan Hinh (left cover) in a recent conversation with journalist Phan Dang (right cover). Photo: Facebook Bui Xuan Hinh

Xuan Hinh went to Hanoi to pursue his second passion and studied in the same class as People's Artist Quoc Truong, People's Artist Hong Ngát, etc. Later, all three became famous Cheo artists in Vietnam. After graduating from university, he was retained at the school as a lecturer. After about a year of teaching, just standing in the university lecture hall could not retain the young artist. He wrote a resignation letter and transferred to the Hanoi Cheo Theater.

Xuan Hinh once shared that People's Artist Manh Tuan, Director Doan Hoang Giang and Director Le Hung were three important teachers and elder brothers in his artistic career. If People's Artist Manh Tuan was the one who taught Xuan Hinh the roles of cheo clowns, then Director Doan Hoang Giang was the one who wrote the scripts and corrected his acting and singing in many comedy skits. Meanwhile, Director Le Hung helped him create works that attracted the attention of the public.

The story of him and People's Artist Quoc Truong studying Cheo with teacher Manh Tuan was also told by Quoc Truong in 2023 as follows: At that time, the school did not teach clowning, so Xuan Hinh and I saved money from trading to study privately with People's Artist Manh Tuan.

"People's Artist Manh Tuan taught me how to play the clown Cu Sut, the lemon clown, the chop clown, the powder clown, the street clown, the climbing clown... In the Cheo stage, the clown role brings optimism and laughter to the audience. In 1988, I participated in the famous clown act "Cu Sut" in the Laughter Festival, performing for nearly 2 months at the Vietnam - Soviet Union Friendship Cultural Palace, receiving warm praise from the audience", artist Xuan Hinh shared.

Xuan Hinh is now over 60 years old, he has a happy life with his family. Photo: Facebook Bui Xuan Hinh

Xuan Hinh revealed that People's Artist Nguyen Manh Tuan was the teacher who had a profound influence on his performance style from then until now. At that time, despite having to pay his own money to study, Xuan Hinh was still determined to pursue the path he had chosen. And then, even teacher Manh Tuan had to admit the natural talent of this determined student.

"Not only did I work hard to hone my skills, but I also struggled to make a living. While studying, I also sold all kinds of things, from dogs, cats, pigs, chickens... to earn money to cover my living expenses. Even in the most difficult times, I still did not give up my passion for the stage," Xuan Hinh confided.

When he first started his career, Xuan Hinh only performed small skits at fairs and village stages, but gradually his name became more and more widespread. When he realized that he could bring joy to the audience, he became more determined to pursue art. From a small actor, he became a show producer, then continued to build his own brand with a series of programs such as "Cui thay Phao dau xuan", "Den ma cuoi", "Bac Nam cung cuoi", "Cui tang suu tho"... Notably, most of these programs were named by Xuan Hinh himself.

With his charming, folk-style acting style and his skillful transformation in each role, Xuan Hinh quickly became an indispensable face on the Northern comedy stages. He not only performed comedy but also excelled in the roles of cheo clowns, an art form that requires sophistication and high technique.

“Art is a commodity, but not everyone can buy it”

Sharing the secret to keeping the passion for the profession, Xuan Hinh believes that smiling is the most effective “tonic”. “The elders still say ‘a smile is worth ten tonics’, so why not smile to live happily and healthily?”, Xuan Hinh humorously said.

However, according to Xuan Hinh, art is not simply a performance but also a commodity – a special commodity. “Not everyone can buy it,” he emphasized. Because, to truly create art, the artist must have talent, stage presence and, most importantly, a passion for the profession.

Artist Xuan Hinh has a cool look while rapping in the MV "Bac Bling" by singer Hoa Minzy. Photo: Producer

Looking back on the past, artist Xuan Hinh has continued to explore and create to bring audiences profound laughter imbued with folk spirit. At the age of over 60, he still maintains his passion for the stage, and is still a spiritual “tonic” for many generations of audiences at home and abroad.

With his passion for the profession and the trust of the audience, in 2016, artist Xuan Hinh held his first big live show called "Xuan Hinh - The Folk Entertainer" to celebrate his 40th year in the art world.

In 2025, Xuan Hinh again caused a stir among audiences nationwide with his rap performance in the MV "Bac Bling" with catchy melodies and lyrics. This is an MV by Hoa Minzy in collaboration with Xuan Hinh, Masew and Tuan Cry to promote the culture and people of Bac Ninh. The MV received many positive reviews from audiences and critics for its skillful combination of modern music with traditional elements of the Kinh Bac countryside.

Therefore, for Xuan Hinh, making art is not only a job, but also a mission. And perhaps, it is his love for the profession and his dedication to the audience that has helped him become one of Vietnam's leading comedians - an artist whose name makes people happy just by hearing it.

Xuan Hinh looks extremely cool in Hoa Minzy's MV "Bac Bling". (Source: Hoa Minzy's Youtube)

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Bui Xuan Hinh (born April 8, 1960), commonly known by his stage name Xuan Hinh, is a Vietnamese actor, comedian and traditional Cheo artist. As a multi-talented artist, he can sing traditional music such as Cheo, Xam, Quan Ho, Cai Luong and Chau Van. Called by the media and colleagues as the "King of Cheo Clowns" in particular and the "King of Northern Comedy" in general, he is also affectionately known by the public as "The Folk Laughter".

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/nghe-si-xuan-hinh-nghe-thuat-la-thu-hang-hoa-nhung-khong-phai-ai-cung-mua-duoc-post338313.html