Parental Gratitude 2025 to spotlight love, sacrifice and patriotism
The annual cultural event, co-organized by Kinh te & Do thi Newspaper, Vietnam Women’s Newspaper and Oscar Media JSC, goes beyond artistic performances to highlight the values of filial piety, patriotism and gratitude to past generations.
THE HANOI TIMES — A special art program themed “Parental Gratitude 2025” will take place at 8:10 p.m. on September 18 at the Vietnam–Soviet Friendship Cultural Palace in Hanoi, celebrating filial devotion and national pride.
The program is co-organized by Kinh te & Do thi (Economic & Urban) Newspaper, Vietnam Women’s Newspaper, and Oscar Media JSC. It will be broadcast live on Hanoi Radio & Television as well as several local stations.
Overview of the event held on September 11. Photos: The Hanoi Times
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Loi, Editor-in-Chief of Kinh te & Do thi Newspaper and Head of the Organizing Committee, said the event coincides with the nationwide celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the successful August Revolution and National Day.
“This is an opportunity to honor Heroic Mothers, war invalids, martyrs, and those who rendered great service to the nation, while educating the younger generation about filial devotion, patriotism and civic responsibility,” said Loi.
To prepare, the organizers launched the “Messages from the Heart” campaign on August 28. Within 12 days, hundreds of messages expressing gratitude to parents were shared online, reflecting sentiments often left unspoken in daily life.
The 2025 edition will expand in scale, featuring performances by singers My Linh, Bang Kieu, Phuong Thanh, Vy Oanh, Kyo York, and Ngoc Lien, alongside artists from the Vietnam National Drama Theatre, the Tre Dance Troupe and the Childhood Star Club.
The play Mother’s Tears (Nuoc mat cua me) is expected to be among the highlights.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thanh Loi, Editor-in-Chief of Kinh te & Do thi Newspaper, speaks at the event.
According to Loi, after years of being held, the program has become a cultural rendezvous eagerly anticipated by the public.
"Each year, the event attracts large audiences and becomes a nucleus that spreads kindness and beautiful thoughts throughout society," said Loi.
Mai Thanh Tung, General Director of the program, said the event broadens the portrayal of parents in connection with the homeland.
“Beyond filial devotion, the program conveys gratitude, upholds the tradition of uong nuoc nho nguon (when drinking water, remember its source), and honors the sacrifices of previous generations,” he said.
Alongside the performances, gratitude activities have been organized in all three regions. In Danang, the delegation offered incense at a martyrs’ memorial and visited Heroic Mothers, including Mother Nguyen Thi Thu, who lost 10 of her 12 children during the war.
In Hanoi, they visited Mother Nhu Thi Nghiem, aged 101, and the Nursing and Rehabilitation Center for People with Meritorious Services No. 2. In Ho Chi Minh City, gifts were presented to several Heroic Mothers.
Delegates receive flowers at the event.
Journalist Phi Quoc Thuyen, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Vietnam Women’s Newspaper and Deputy Head of the Organizing Committee, said the program aims to be both engaging and meaningful.
“Every detail is designed to express gratitude, offering audiences performances to watch and messages to connect with their own lives,” said Thuyen.
From left to right: Le Chuc (Artistic Advisor), Mai Thanh Tung (General Director), Nguyen Thanh Loi (Editor-in-Chief, Kinh te & Do thi Newspaper), and Phi Quoc Thuyen (Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Vietnam Women’s Newspaper).
The event will open with a Xam folk singing performance combined with traditional verses, evoking childhood memories for many generations. After songs honoring Heroic Mothers, a moment of remembrance will be dedicated to fallen soldiers.
Singer Ngoc Lien, set to make her debut in the program, said performing the song Dat nuoc loi ru (The Country with a Lullaby) was her way of expressing love for both parents and the nation.
Meritorious Artist Le Chuc, artistic advisor of the program, emphasized that the event is more than a stage performance: “It is a cultural space where gratitude is expressed through art. Mothers, both within families and as a symbol of the Motherland, embody love and sacrifice that can touch the deepest emotions.”
Delegates pose for a commemorative photo at the event.
He said the image of mothers, both within families and as a symbol of the Motherland, embodies love and sacrifice and can stir the deepest emotions of audiences.
Mothers, he added, are the source of poetry and music, nurturing the nation’s soul. Citing Russian writer Maxim Gorky, he noted that without mothers there would be neither poets nor heroes, as motherhood remains an eternal image in culture and art.
