30 years of carrying "Memories of Central Vietnam" all over Ho Chi Minh City to make a living

"Passion must go with heart"

At rush hour at the corner of Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street (HCMC), people often see an elderly man with long hair sitting and smoking a cigarette next to a dilapidated car full of masks. That is Mr. Bay (60 years old, living in Go Vap District), often affectionately called "Bay Masks".

Born and raised in Binh Dinh province, from a young age Mr. Bay was fascinated by characters like Quan Cong, Cao Cao,...

30 năm chở ký ức người miền Trung khắp TPHCM mưu sinh - 1 — The small "opera troupe" creates a highlight in the heart of the city (Photo: Binh Minh).

"At that time, I was also wondering what to do. Since I was young, I loved listening to hát bội, so I wanted to find a job related to this art form. I went to many places to learn, and found that few people did this mask painting job, so I decided to go to Ho Chi Minh City to start a business," Mr. Bay recalled.

He said he had never taken a painting class or been taught the craft by a teacher. He had to figure out each mask himself, learn from books and newspapers, and then start creating the shape.

"Because I love hát bội so much, every time I sit down to study how to create a character, I seem to forget everything around me, and I never feel tired or have any difficulty," Mr. Bay excitedly shared.

To complete a mask, Mr. Bay must spend from 3 to 6 hours, including many stages that require the "artist" to have both a thorough understanding of the character and meticulousness.

30 năm chở ký ức người miền Trung khắp TPHCM mưu sinh - 2 — Each color and detail on the mask represents the nuances and personalities of different characters (Photo: Binh Minh).

"First, I use clay to create a mold, then cover it with silicone. Next, I use stone powder and synthetic resin powder to create the product. Finally, I use a brush to paint it and let it dry," said the 60-year-old artist.

After completing each mask, Mr. Bay often sits and looks at each small detail, partly to check the lines, partly to recall ancient plays.

"To create a lively, soulful mask, you must clearly understand the character's personality. Each character has its own unique features. Therefore, each brush stroke must show its own details, colors, and demeanor so that customers can immediately recognize who it is, whether the character is righteous or unrighteous," Mr. Bay explained.

In addition to the colorfully painted masks, Mr. Bay also makes many other types of masks to diversify his products. In his free time, he spends time reading more books to research more about the characters, so that every day there are more beautiful faces appearing on the bicycle "theater".

Bicycle carrying a whole "treasure troupe" of opera

For over 30 years, Mr. Bay has been riding his bicycle full of masks all over Ho Chi Minh City, from Go Vap District to the streets of District 1 and District 3. He likes to ride his bicycle so that passersby can slowly admire his work.

Seeing the guests enjoying the works, Mr. Bay was constantly happy. He was happy partly because he could make a living from his own passion, and partly because he could spread the value of the art of hát bội to the younger generations.

30 năm chở ký ức người miền Trung khắp TPHCM mưu sinh - 3 — Mr. Bay "tells stories" to customers about mask models (Photo: Binh Minh).

Mr. Bay's "opera troupe" has more than 40 masks in 3 different sizes. The smallest mask costs 185,000 VND/piece, the medium size costs 480,000 VND/piece and the largest is 520,000 VND/piece. On average, he can sell 4-5 masks per day.

According to Mr. Bay, if any of the visitors have read books or know about opera, they will ask to buy the character they like, otherwise they will just choose based on their feelings.

Accidentally passing by a car full of masks, Ms. NTB (living in District 3) stopped to look out of curiosity.

"I was walking around this area and saw a man selling some strangely painted masks, so I stopped by to take a look. I also picked out a small one to display on my table," she said, showing off the mask she had just bought.

Hat Boi (also known as Hat Bo, or Ancient Tuong) is one of the three national intangible cultural heritages of Binh Dinh province. Hat Boi originated from the royal Hat Bo, which is a style of Tuong singing with gestures.

When performing, the actors and actresses sing and dance, walk on stage, and make attractive gestures with symbolic objects.

Hat Boi often reenacts stories from folk tales, with educational purposes, promoting the shining examples of heroes, promoting humanity - justice - courtesy - wisdom - trust and human ethics.

The ending of the plays is always happy and teaches people: good will be rewarded, evil will be rewarded, you reap what you sow...

Binh Dinh is considered the "cradle" of the art of tuong (hat boi). The history of tuong art in the province is closely associated with the names of the founder Dao Duy Tu and the successor Dao Tan.

Later, hát bội was introduced to the South and became an indispensable "specialty" in major holidays here, especially for people in the West.

Dawn

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