(VOVWORLD) - For many years, the Ho Chi Minh City Hat Boi (classical opera) Theatre has held regular weekly performances in public spaces across the city and partnered with schools to introduce Hat Boi to younger audiences. These initiatives aim to preserve Vietnam’s cultural heritage while engaging modern viewers through fresh and innovative approaches.
 (Photo: Vu Huong – VOV correspondent in Ho Chi Minh City) |
Each performance, even when only excerpts are staged, is meticulously prepared and often repeated several times by the theatre’s dedicated artists. Their dedication has gradually captured the hearts of the public, nurturing a deeper appreciation for this traditional art form.
Nguyen Cong Dung, 38, attended a Hat Boi performance for the first time on Nguyen Van Binh Book Street. “Now I have a new perspective and a different way of approaching it. I was deeply impressed by the drum beats, the music, and the distinctive performance style of Hat Boi.”
Each year, the Ho Chi Minh City Hat Boi Theatre stages between 150 and 160 performances, averaging one show every two days.
To serve a wide range of audiences, both local and international, the theater regularly organizes weekend performances in public spaces such as the Hung Kings Temple located in the History Museum inside Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden, and the Le Van Duyet Tomb. In addition, it also performs at traditional village festivals and participates in school theatre programs at historical sites.
 Foreign audiences watch a Hat Boi performance on the Book Street in Ho Chi Minh City (Photo: Vu Huong – VOV correspondent in Ho Chi Minh City) |
Nguyen Thanh Binh, head of the theatre’s performance organization section, said, “Through public performances, we aim to preserve and promote Hat Boi’s unique cultural values. This is also a way to introduce the art form to both domestic and foreign tourists.”
After watching a Hat Boi show in downtown Ho Chi Minh City, Lam Hoang Xuan Nghi, a student from the University of Economics, said that Hat Boi excerpts often depict Vietnam’s history of national construction and defense.
Nghi suggested that Hat Boi be combined with modern storytelling or integrated into digital content to attract a broader audience. “The more creative and innovative the changes are, the more attention they will draw. That way, young people can better understand the cultural essence of Vietnam.”
Mr. Binh said to make the performances more accessible to international audiences, the theatre has created special programs featuring short, visually engaging excerpts that emphasize makeup and choreography, while minimizing long dialogues to help foreign visitors follow the storyline more easily.
 Audience members can interact with artists and learn more about the art of Hat Boi. (Photo: Vu Huong – VOV correspondent in Ho Chi Minh City) |
Beyond promoting traditional art, the theatre also offers creative cultural tourism activities, such as photo tours and Hat Boi experience sessions lasting from 30 to 60 minutes, tailored to visitors’ preferences. These experiences can be conducted bilingually- in Vietnamese and English or Vietnamese and Chinese, he said.
“This format gives visitors a chance to witness the entire creative process, from character creation to performance, and even try a few movements or lines themselves, allowing them to genuinely experience the essence of Hat Boi,” Mr. Binh noted.
Recently, the Ho Chi Minh City Hat Boi Theatre was honored as one of eight organizations with outstanding contributions to patriotic emulation movements and to the development of the local cultural and sports sectors.