I used to do 12 shows from morning to New Year's Eve, with a salary of 4 taels of gold.

Entering the music scene in 1990, Doan Truong was one of the four famous singers named Truong in the 1990s, along with Lam Truong, Dan Truong and Van Truong. Many fans at that time called them the “Four Heavenly Kings” of Vietnamese pop music.

Not only is he in demand for music shows, Doan Truong is also an MC. After 30 years, he is no longer active in the arts but has chosen a simple, peaceful single life and spends time traveling .

Doan Truong currently lives alone in a townhouse in the center of Saigon. His mother's passing in 2022 made him feel even more empty. Doan Truong said that Tet always brings him feelings of regret, regret, and loneliness. In a conversation with VTC News, the male singer revealed that every Tet he sheds tears and wants to run away.

"Buy" more than 8 taels of gold while performing shows during Tet

- Another year of lonely New Year, how are you mentally preparing for this year's Tet?

My family has always had a tradition that from the age of 1 to 20, I would receive lucky money from my parents at the exact moment of New Year's Eve. From the age of 20 onwards, I would give lucky money back to my parents. This lucky money always increases every year as a "report" to my parents that I have achieved success and fulfillment. This year, I still celebrate a second "orphaned" New Year. According to tradition, I still leave 2 lucky money envelopes on the altar on the morning of the first day of Tet for my parents.

This year, I will still celebrate Tet in a simple way, simplifying unnecessary customs and practices, so I will not be as busy preparing early as in previous years. However, I will still make offerings on all days and pay respects to my father on the 28th of Tet.

Before, my mother was the only one who always arranged and decorated during Tet. She always wore Ao Dai when lighting the first incense stick at the moment of changing seasons. This year is the second year that my mother is no longer around, so I have to do all these things for her. I still try to do it well, beautifully with the happiest and most comfortable mood.

Doan Truong decorates his house to relieve his sadness.

- You once shared that redecorating your home to welcome Tet is both a joy and a tradition, and also to ease the longing for loved ones. What about this year?

After several years of not decorating my house for Tet due to the pandemic and family sadness, this year I decided to bring a little spring atmosphere into my living space to make it less lonely. Simply apricot branches, peach branches, twinkling lights... to have the "smell" of Tet.

My mother is good at housework, so every Tet she makes cakes and jams, cooks banh tet, decorates the corners of the house, the yard, the fish pond and sets up the altar for her ancestors.

Therefore, I still try to do these tasks for my mother properly and solemnly. I buy enough food for the first 3 days of the year, prepare and cook the offerings to my grandparents and parents myself to show my sincerity. I will also replace them mainly with vegetarian dishes that are delicious, nutritious, cheap and easy to prepare.

- You are famous for being frugal, how much money do you spend on Tet?

This year I decided not to travel so I won’t spend much. So the total spending is only about 7 million VND. I have planned my spending in detail for each category, including 2 million for charity.

I always believe that I only buy what is necessary and only replace what is damaged, so it also helps save some money.

- There was a golden age, surely you had many memorable memories when performing shows during Tet?

When I was at my peak in the 90s, I always took advantage of these occasions to take on shows because I wanted to earn more money and celebrate Tet in a "grand" way. I knew that this glorious period would eventually pass, so I had to take advantage of every opportunity. There were cold New Year's Eves when I still performed diligently in Hanoi , Hai Phong...

After singing, I returned to my room and cried because I missed home and the warm atmosphere of family reunion.

I remember Tet 2002, one day I ran 12 shows from morning to New Year's Eve in the districts around Ho Chi Minh City. Each show sang 3 songs and earned nearly 2 million VND. At that time, 6 million VND could buy 1 tael of gold, so in one day I earned enough money to buy 4 taels of gold.

The money for singing on Tet holiday is 2-3 times higher than normal days. Not to mention that when I sing on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd day of Tet, I also receive lucky money from the audience, sometimes the amount of money I receive is even more than the money I earned singing that day. At that time, thanks to working hard throughout Tet, I also "acquired" more than 8 taels of gold.

I will adopt

- Many people think that celebrating Tet alone will make people feel lonelier than usual because it lacks the meaning of "reunion". Do you personally feel this clearly?

I admit that this Tet will be lonelier because I don’t have friends, neighbors, relatives… I also don’t have any relatives on my maternal and paternal sides, nor do I have any beloved parents. On New Year’s Eve, I will replace my mother in cooking the family meal. On the first morning, I can sit comfortably with a cup of hot tea, sip some ginger jam, and watch the yellow apricot blossoms blooming in front of… the house opposite.

I plan to invite only a few friends who are of the same age and destiny to my house on the afternoon of the 2nd and then have a light and frugal party. I always have ways to overcome loneliness such as waking up later to waste time, finding extra work like cleaning the house, rearranging the landscape corners, exercising, participating in volunteer groups and traveling...

As long as my parents are alive, there will always be love. Even though I tell myself not to be too sad, seeing families together makes me sad.

- Do you intend to open your heart to receive love after the breakups, so that the following Tet holidays will be less lonely?

I have opened my heart for many years now but no one has come to me, so I have to accept fate! What is mine will always be mine. Maybe God wants me to be alone for the rest of my life. Fate comes and goes, if my love life is still there, then new fate will come. If not, then consider that in this life I have paid my debt to life and I don't owe anyone anymore.

- Before you always said you felt scared of Tet, what about now?

I still fear Tet because of many special personal impressions since childhood. In my mind, Tet always brings a feeling of regret, regret and loneliness. Tet - just a single word but contains more sad memories than happy ones. Even though I fear Tet, avoid Tet, in the end I still have to celebrate Tet even though I don't like it. Every year, I am sad and cry alone during Tet at the moment of changing seasons.

Every year during Tet, I want to run away because I remember the events that happened in my life right before Tet. My parents both passed away on the days before Tet. I received a divorce decision in Tet 2012 or had to be hospitalized for tuberculosis in Russia during Tet 1993...

The male singer currently lives alone in a house worth 2000 taels of gold in the center of Saigon.

- No longer active in showbiz, what are your plans for 2024?

In 2023, perhaps due to "old age", I discovered more diseases. Since then, I have spent a lot of time exercising , controlling my weight, blood pressure, blood sugar...

Besides, I have studied the law on adoption of children who are orphans. After thinking it over, I plan to become the godfather of an orphan boy. He will still be raised by the temple and sent to school. I will be the one to take care of all the expenses of his education and medical care.

- Thank you Doan Truong for sharing!

Thanh Tung

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