With a millennium-old history, the art of “Cheo” – a traditional theatrical art genre – has long been part of Vietnamese people’s culture and society and also a popular practice in their spiritual life.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha has agreed on the submission of the dossiers on “Mo Muong” and the “art of Cheo” to UNESCO to seek the inscription of these intangible cultural heritage elements into world lists.

Cheo is a traditional theatrical art imbued with Vietnamese cultural identity. It is believed to have originated in the 10th century and has its roots in village festivals in the Red River Delta.

Following a period of ‘hibernation’ due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2022 National Cheo Festival promises to move the audience with a wide range of emotions via 27 plays by 16 art troupes.

Vietnamese performing arts include various types, with Cheo (traditional opera), Tuong (classical drama), cai luong (reformed theatre) and water puppetry being among the most commonly performed ones.

Cheo used to be a popular form of theatre in Vietnam. In an effort to make cheo more popular among young people, a group of students have brought cheo plays to universities.

Some 100 young traditional artists are performing at the National Traditional Art Talent Competition taking place in the central province of Thanh Hoa.

From this June, Hanoians can enjoy cheo (traditional Vietnamese opera) plays every Saturday night at Dai Nam theatre.

Traditional singing and calligraphy performances were held to celebrate Vietnam Cultural Heritage Day in Hanoi on November 23.

A new musical work that combines Western piano and Vietnamese chèo (traditional opera) debuted recently at Công Nhân Theatre in Hanoi.

Trinh Nhat Minh, a nine-year-old boy from Hanoi, won the fourth season of the Voice Kid Vietnam after beating three other finalists on the finale on October 29 night.

Concerted preservation efforts are key to the growing popularity of Cheo – Vietnam’s traditional opera. Young people have joined hands to promote the art form to a wider audience.