Thu Ha, Minh Vuong and many artists at the incense offering ceremony at Van Thi Temple - Ninh Binh

(NLDO) - A large number of people in Ninh Binh came to burn incense with stage artists on the Traditional Day of Vietnamese Stage at the sacred temple.

On the afternoon of October 3, at the sacred space of the stage artists, the origin of the traditional Cheo art - Van Thi Temple (Ninh Binh City), the Vietnam Stage Artists Association in collaboration with the Department of Culture - Sports and Tourism of Ninh Binh province and Ninh Binh Cheo Theater solemnly held an incense offering ceremony on the occasion of Vietnam Stage Tradition Day (August 12 of the lunar calendar).

Ho Chi Minh City Artist Group at Van Thi Temple - Ninh Binh City

Hundreds of artists representing all types of theater across the country gathered in the historic land of Hoa Lu to pay tribute to Madam Pham Thi Tran – who is honored as the Founder of Cheo and the Founder of Vietnamese Theater. Artist groups, directors, and actors lit incense sticks in memory of their ancestors – those who laid the foundation for folk performing arts, contributing to the formation and development of Vietnamese theater for over a millennium.

From left to right: Meritorious Artist Do Ky, People's Artist Thu Ha and Journalist Ha Tung Longj at Van Thi Temple - Ninh Binh

People's Artist Thu Ha was moved: "I am extremely grateful that this year the Vietnam Stage Artists Association solemnly organized and invited many stage artists from all over the country to attend the scientific conference with the theme "50 years of innovation of Vietnamese stage art". At the same time, they held an incense offering ceremony for the profession's ancestors at the temple of Mrs. Pham Thi Tran. This atmosphere preserves the eternal morality of drinking water and remembering its source for generations of artists to continue and make continuous efforts to build an increasingly beautiful stage".

Meritorious Artist Minh Vuong was surrounded by audiences asking for souvenir photos, People's Artist Thu Ha, People's Artist Bich Ngoan, People's Artist Trung Anh... were also the center of attention of the majority of the public.

People's Artist Trung Anh burns incense to honor his ancestors at Van Thi Temple - Ninh Binh

Van Thi Temple - A place of gratitude and continuation of tradition

Van Thi Temple is located next to Ninh Binh Cheo Theatre and is a familiar cultural address for local people. This is a provincial-level historical and cultural relic, associated with the name of Huyen Nu Pham Thi Tran (926–976), from Hong Chau (present-day Hai Duong). According to ancient documents such as Da Co Luc and Du Dia Chi Hai Duong, she was famous for her beauty and talent, good at singing and dancing, and was summoned by King Dinh Tien Hoang to the capital Hoa Lu to teach singing and dancing to the palace maids, then organized theater troupes to serve the royal court, the army and the people.

Doctor of Arts Thanh Phuong and Meritorious Artist Minh Vuong

She was the first woman to be awarded the title of 'Quan' in the feudal system, with the title "Uu Ba", to recognize her great contributions to the country's folk arts. Since then, the capital Hoa Lu has become the cradle of Cheo singing and stage performances, and she is honored as the founder of Vietnamese Cheo.

Provincial Theater Project - New Urban Cultural Highlight

A large audience and stage artists gathered at the incense offering ceremony to honor the profession's ancestors organized by the Vietnam Stage Artists Association in Ninh Binh.

Notably, this year's event is held in the context that Ninh Binh owns a large-scale, modern cultural project - Ninh Binh Provincial Theater, inaugurated in April 2024. The project started construction in July 2021, consisting of 3 blocks with a construction area of ​​about 2,856 m², a total floor area of ​​nearly 8,500 m², unique architecture, bearing a contemporary mark. Since its inauguration, the Provincial Theater has not only been a place to organize art performances, but also become a prominent check-in point for tourists, a community living space with yoga activities, folk dance, art photography... The image of the Theater has spread strongly on social networks, contributing to promoting the dynamic cultural appearance of the locality.

A place to inspire the younger generation

On each anniversary of the death of the founder, in addition to the incense offering ceremony, Ninh Binh Cheo Theatre also organizes performances right at the temple and brings the art of Cheo to students of Truong Han Sieu Secondary School located next door. The extracurricular activities help students learn Cheo melodies, contributing to nurturing a love for traditional theater from an early age - an activity that has been maintained by dedicated artists for many years.

Stage artists gathered at Van Thi Temple - Ninh Binh on Vietnam Theatre Tradition Day

The incense offering ceremony at Van Thi Temple is an opportunity for stage artists across the country to pay tribute to their ancestors and a reminder of the mission of preserving and promoting the national stage heritage. The event takes place in the sacred space of the ancient Hoa Lu land, combined with the new cultural and urban appearance of Ninh Binh, creating a meaningful picture of the intersection between tradition and modernity.

Lessons from Hoa Lu – Ninh Binh

People's Artist Le Tien Tho - former President of the Vietnam Stage Artists Association - was the master of ceremonies honoring the great values ​​that predecessors have created for the country's stage arts.

He presided over the incense offering ceremony and read a touching speech, remembering the ancestors who had preserved the nation’s thousand-year-old traditional art. Thereby educating the younger generation to follow and contributing to beautifying the stage in the era of rising up.

Ms. Pham Ngoc Anh - Director of Stage Publishing House and People's Artist Thu Ha offer incense at Van Thi Temple

"All the stage artists attending the Ancestor's Death Anniversary Ceremony in Ninh Binh today are determined to use their own strength and creativity to contribute to the development of the country's stage" - People's Artist Trinh Thuy Mui shared.

People's Artist Thu Ha (middle) and actors of Ninh Binh Cheo Theater at Van Thi Temple - Ninh Binh

Source: https://nld.com.vn/thu-ha-minh-vuong-va-dong-nghe-si-le-dang-huong-den-van-thi-ninh-binh-196251003173433929.htm