Vinh Long launches hat boi shows for tourists

Shows featuring hat boi (classical drama) will be launched in southern Vinh Long province in an bid to attract tourists and preserve traditional theatre, the province’s Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism has said.
The programme’s young artists, mostly from local art troupes, have been studying at art schools and theatres, including the prestigious HCM City Hat Boi Theatre and the HCM City University of Culture, to improve their voice and performance skills.
The department has worked with many tourist agencies in the region and HCM City to set up performance schedules.
Fifty tourist guides, who have been trained in introducing the art to tourists, have also contributed their ideas as well.
Hat boi or tuong is often performed at ceremonies and festivals at temples and pagodas in Vinh Long, Can Tho, Tien Giang and Soc Trang provinces and in HCM City.
Stories in hat boi feature historical events and social problems. The actors, skilled in both singing and dance, do their own make-up and design their costumes.