Places to enjoy performing arts in city
Enjoying art shows in the city is also a good way for you to appreciate the “Saigon identity”. Do not miss the outstanding programs that we recommend you below!
Ethnic art performance at Truc Mai House
Truc Mai House is a familiar space for many locals and tourists who love Vietnamese folk music. At a small house on Pham Viet Chanh Street, Binh Thanh District, meritorious artist Tuyet Mai with her husband, who is a bamboo flutist Dinh Linh, and two children are still enthusiastically imparting knowledge to fans of traditional music through unique musical instrument classes such as flute, monochord, double-stringed lute, zither, drum, lithophone, T’rung musical instrument, K’long put,…. The music from zither and T’rung of artist Tuyet Mai are special, while artist Dinh Linh and his son play the bamboo flute very skillfully. At the same time, her family also organizes performances of Chau Van songs, folk songs and musical works played from different ethnic musical instruments for visitors to enjoy. During the performance, the couple will introduce and explain to the audience the meaning of each traditional Vietnamese musical instrument.
Truc Mai House No. 104, Pham Viet Chanh Street, Ward 19, Binh Thanh District.
Vietnamese classical opera at Le Van Duyet Mausoleum
Appearing around the 13th century, Vietnamese classical opera is an old-fashioned musical show style with exaggerated lyrics and lively rhythms on festive occasions. Artists have to draw bold faces, multiples (applied, added) on people with fancy flags and latex crowns. During the time General Le Van Duyet (1764 – 1832) was a head of South Vietnam, people used to say he was fond of Vietnamese classic opera. Local people also handed down an anecdote that Ong Thuong (General Le Van Duyet’s nickname) personally participated in the performance. It is also thanks to that chance that Vietnamese classical opera is more and more deeply rooted in the southern land and develops to a perfect level. On the occasion of the anniversary of Ong Thuong’s death (July 30 to August 2 of the lunar calendar) every year, artist from Art troupe of Ho Chi Minh’s Vietnamese classical opera house gather at Le Van Duyet Mausoleum for some activities, such as participating in “Xay Chau Dai Boi” ceremony, perform for 2 day continuously plays as “Duc thuong cong Ta quan Le Van Duyet”, “Thuyet Duong”, “San Hau I, II, III”, … for recreating Ong Thuong’s life. At the end of the performance, the Sacrifice Board with the artists performed the “Ton Vuong” ritual and ended the anniversary. Being able to perform Vietnamese classical opera house at the mausoleum on Ong Thuong’s death anniversary is an honor for troupe artists, as well as helping locals and visitors to understand more about the beauty of ancient performance art.
Le Van Duyet Mausoleum, No. 01, Vu Tung Street, Ward 1, Binh Thanh District.
