Meritorious Artist Quoc Phong of Hanoi Cheo Theater won the Excellence Award at the 2025 National Cheo Festival

The 2025 National Cheo Festival is organized by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in coordination with the People's Committee of Bac Ninh province from October 20 to November 2 in Bac Ninh province.

Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ta Quang Dong delivered the closing speech. Photo: NTBD

Speaking at the closing ceremony, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ta Quang Dong emphasized that the 2025 National Cheo Festival is a large-scale art event, held periodically to honor, preserve and promote the value of traditional Cheo art heritage, and at the same time is an opportunity for art troupes across the country to exchange, learn, and share creative and performance experiences. This year, the festival gathered 12 professional art troupes, performing 21 plays with many rich themes, from history, folk to modern, vividly reflecting the breath of life. Each play is a creative voice, the crystallization of serious artistic work, enthusiasm and the unceasing desire to contribute of Cheo artists across the country.

Awarding Gold Medals to 2 plays. Photo: NTBD

Deputy Minister Ta Quang Dong said that through each play and each role, the art of Cheo is changing strongly. Many troupes have made discoveries and innovations in staging, music , costumes, combining tradition and contemporary. These efforts show the spirit of innovation and integration without losing its identity - a correct direction for Cheo to continue to live sustainably in modern life.

According to the Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the festival is not only an occasion to honor artistic values, but also an opportunity to assess the current situation, discover talents, and nurture the next generation, thereby helping Cheo art units continue to improve themselves, aiming at contemporary audiences. This is also an opportunity to look at and discuss in more depth the challenges of traditional art in the context of integration, digital transformation and changes in public taste.

"In order for the art of Cheo to continue to spread in today's social life, innovation in creative thinking, performance methods, and investment and support mechanisms from the State is needed. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will continue to accompany and direct specialized units to build a strategy to preserve and promote the art of Cheo in the direction of both preserving the original and creatively adapting it to modern life," Deputy Minister Ta Quang Dong affirmed.

Awarding Excellence to two actors. Photo: NTBD

In terms of expertise, playwright Chu Thom, Chairman of the Arts Council, said that this year’s festival’s works on historical themes are on par with modern themes. This proves that Cheo artists have paid much attention and are exploring and experimenting with modern themes to bring the breath of today’s life into Cheo as sweetly as Cheo has been successfully performed in the fields of history, folklore, legends, etc.

The fact that many young actors participate in new plays is a positive sign that the art of Cheo is being continued and renewed to suit the breath of the times, avoiding the risk of fading away, resisting the challenge of the "storm" of Industry 4.0 and the strong dominance of many other art forms in the digital age. The theme of revolutionary war is still considered a "source-oriented" theme because it is closely linked to the core values and foundations of the nation that are thoroughly exploited...

However, according to playwright Chu Thom, the festival performed many ancient melodies but did not choose melodies that suited the people, the circumstances, or the characters' personalities... In the plays, it is rare to see people of today, such as shippers; soldiers, policemen rescuing people in storms and floods... appearing on stage.

Closing the 2025 National Cheo Festival, the Organizing Committee awarded 2 Gold Medals for plays; 5 Silver Medals for plays; 2 Outstanding Actor Awards; 33 Gold Medals, 65 Silver Medals for actors and awards for creative elements.

Meritorious Artist Quoc Phong (left) in the role of General Le Hoan (play "The burden of mountains and rivers" - Hanoi Cheo Theatre) won the award for best actor. Photo: Hanoi Cheo Theatre

The two plays that won Gold Medals were “Nguyen Van Cu - Youth with Great Ambition” (Army Cheo Theatre) and “Thien Menh” (Bac Ninh Cheo Theatre). The two actors who won the Excellence Award were Meritorious Artist Quoc Phong (Bui Van Phong) of Hanoi Cheo Theatre and Meritorious Artist Quynh Mai (Pham Thi Mai) of Bac Ninh Cheo Theatre.

Awarding creative components to authors and artists. Photo: NTBD

Creative component awards include: Outstanding scriptwriter Tran Dinh Ngon (Eastern Cheo Theatre); Outstanding director Le Van Tuan (Hanoi Cheo Theatre); Outstanding musician Duong Thanh Nam (Ninh Binh Province Traditional Arts Theatre); Outstanding art design Dau Quang Anh (Hung Yen Cheo Theatre); Outstanding choreographer Meritorious Artist Hoai Anh (Vietnam National Traditional Theatre).

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/nsut-quoc-phong-cua-nha-hat-cheo-ha-noi-dat-giai-xuat-sac-trong-lien-hoan-cheo-toan-quoc-2025-721929.html