Reviving Hue Tuong

Hue royal court opera is a traditional form of highly scholarly theater because from the music, lyrics to the plot, the performance method are all carefully and strictly compiled, staged and censored to serve the kings in the Nguyen Dynasty.

With the photo collection "Revitalizing Hue Tuong", author Tran Cong Dat once again affirmed that over time, Hue royal Tuong has gradually faded away, but fortunately, the dedicated artists of the Hue Royal Traditional Arts Theater have made great efforts to preserve and find ways to revive this unique art form. The photo collection was submitted by the author to the Photo and Video Contest "Happy Vietnam - Happy Vietnam" , organized by the Ministry of Information and Communications.

Tuong, also known as hat boi, is a famous traditional musical form of Vietnam. According to historical records, Tuong has existed since the Tran Dynasty (around the 13th century) and flourished during the Nguyen Dynasty (19th century).

Ancestor worship ceremony at Thanh Binh ancestral temple, where the ancestors of Hue royal Tuong are worshiped.

In Tuong, there is a combination of many elements such as: singing, dancing, music, fine arts, literature...; the acting style is heavily symbolic; the actors are dressed and made up elaborately and impressively according to their own forms; the content of the plays often has a heroic tone, promoting the spirit of loyalty and patriotism, readiness to sacrifice for a great cause and moral lessons on how to behave according to traditional Confucian ethical standards.

Therefore, during feudal times, especially during the Nguyen Dynasty, Tuong was loved and respected by intellectuals, nobles, and especially those in the royal palace.

Hue artists participate in promoting Hue royal opera art. Tourists and the public of Hue discover the beauty of royal opera art right on the streets.

Impressive images of Tuong artists on the streets of Hue.

More than 200 artists participated in the street performance program to introduce and promote Hue royal court art.

Usually actors will do their own makeup for their characters.

The art of makeup is symbolic and clearly shows the character of the play. The Tuong artist dressed up as the character.

The royal Tuong troupe on the way to Hue Imperial City. After more than a century of reign, the Nguyen Dynasty developed the art of Tuong to its peak. From a folk art, Tuong was elevated to a perfect art form with high scholarship in both script and performance, becoming the national drama of a country./.

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