Do Vietnam’s youth need or want traditional arts?

Young people in Vietnam are spending their free time playing online games, writing blogs, socialising and shopping – is it a problem that they seem to have no time for traditional arts?
Cheo or rock?
Le Thi Ngoc Mai, a final-year student of the Hanoi Foreign Trade University, admits she has never gone to theatre to watch a drama or a cheo (traditional operetta). Meanwhile, she is a enthusiastic student in more modern entertainment activities at her university. In her free time, Mai surfs internet – a daily habit.
Similarly, students say they have never been to theatres to watch traditional arts or don’t pay attention to folk arts, but if their school organises a rock show, they are willing to join.
Quynh Le from the Hanoi University for Social Sciences and Humanity is a rare case. After joining the Lim Festival in Bac Ninh, she “fell in love” with Bac Ninh love duets and since then she has been keen to learn more about traditional arts.
Money or lifestyle?
Since July 2009, the Hanoi Cultural House for Students has cooperated with the Tuoi Tre Theatre to bring traditional art shows to students. Every Friday and Saturday, they organise drama, cai luong and traditional dance shows at the Youth Theatre of the Hanoi Cultural House to serve young people.
Nguyen Thi Kim Nga, deputy director of the Hanoi Cultural House, said in order to enable students to enjoy traditional arts, ticket prices for these shows are kept cheap, at 30,000 dong per ticket.
However, many students still say they have never been to the theatre. Some say that they like watching art shows, especially comedies, but entrance fees are still high.
Actor Chi Trung, manager of the Tuoi Tre Theatre, said that the programme is designed for young people, especially students but the audiences were still mainly middle-aged people. When the low ticket policy ended in late September, the theatre didn’t have any young people in the audience at all.
“Young people have money, but not for watching art. They have money to go shopping,” he said.
He said that the theatre plan to perform at 55 universities and colleges in Hanoi but is seeking funds.