National Cheo Festival gathers 900 artists in Bac Ninh, showcases cultural quintessence
Nearly 900 artists from 11 professional Cheo troupes nationwide are joining the National Cheo Festival 2025 in Bac Ninh.
THE HANOI TIMES — The National Cheo Festival 2025 is now underway until November 2 at the Culture and Exhibition Center in the northern province of Bac Ninh's Bac Giang Ward, featuring a sophisticated showcase of traditional theatre, music and storytelling.
Bac Ninh is known for its deep cultural heritage and historic connection to the “Northern Cheo mats”, one of Vietnam’s four traditional cheo schools. The festival’s return to this land reflects both pride and commitment to preserving the roots of folk theatre in the Red River Delta.
The 2025 festival brings together nearly 900 artists, actors and theatre professionals from 11 art units nationwide. Over two weeks, they will perform 21 plays, capturing stories of homeland, family and national pride.
During the opening ceremony, participating art troupes joined a donation drive that raised about US$8,400 (VND210 million) to support residents of Bac Ninh affected by recent floods. The gesture demonstrated the artists’ compassion and the festival’s spirit of solidarity beyond the stage.
Artists perform Thien Menh (Heaven’s Mandate) during the opening night of the National Cheo Festival 2025 in Bac Ninh.
Vice Chairman of the Bac Ninh Provincial People’s Committee Le Xuan Loi said that it is an honor for the province to host leading cheo troupes from across the country.
“This is where culture breathes in every song and story,” he said. “We want the sound of cheo to echo again in the hearts of the people.”
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, co-organizer of the event with the Bac Ninh People’s Committee, praised the strong preparation and professionalism of participating troupes. The ministry described this year’s festival as one of the most elaborate and meaningful cultural gatherings in recent years.
In his opening address, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ta Quang Dong said that the festival serves as a platform for creativity, exchange and preservation.
“It is a valuable opportunity for art troupes to meet, share experience and improve their craft,” he said. “More importantly, it brings cheo closer to the public.”
He noted that the 2025 edition marks the first nationwide professional performing arts event since Vietnam implemented the two-tier local government model, marking an important milestone in cultural management and artistic development.
“The festival demonstrates our commitment to innovation, adaptation and integration in Vietnam’s cultural development process,” Dong added.
The ministry is also drafting a new resolution on revitalizing Vietnamese culture, aiming to strengthen policies that preserve traditional arts like cheo and enhance culture as a source of soft power, he said.
Leaders and delegates attend the opening ceremony of the National Cheo Festival 2025 in Bac Ninh.
Cheo, a traditional form of Vietnamese folk theatre dating back more than a thousand years, remains deeply tied to the spiritual life of northern communities. Combining music, dance and storytelling, it reflects the Vietnamese people’s humor, moral values and enduring pursuit of truth and beauty. From village courtyards to national stages, cheo continues to evolve while keeping its original soul alive.
Over the past decades, cheo has evolved beyond village stages to reach urban audiences through schools, television and digital platforms. Many young artists are now reinterpreting classical stories with modern staging and lighting, proving that traditional theatre can still move contemporary viewers.
