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Can Tho: Regular Art Performances Delight Locals and Tourists Alike

Can Tho, Vietnam – Regular art performances designed to entertain both residents and visitors are not only enriching the cultural life of Can Tho City but are also evolving into an attractive tourism product.

Every Saturday morning, a small boat carrying artists from the Tay Do Theater gently glides through the Cai Rang Floating Market, providing musical entertainment for traders and tourists. The soulful "tai tu" melodies and sweet "vong co" tunes enhance the beauty of the floating market, offering tourists a deeper appreciation of the river culture. Ms. To Thuy Kieu, a tourist from Ca Mau, shared, "Visiting the floating market to observe the trading activities of the merchants, enjoying 'bun rieu' and coffee, and especially listening to 'vong co' on the river, is a truly delightful experience." Artists Hong Thuy and Le Duy, who have been involved in this program for many years, expressed their honor in bringing their singing to the audience, especially on the waterways of Can Tho. The enthusiasm and love from the tourists, some of whom even interact and take photos, provide a great source of motivation for the entire troupe.

The regular mixed art performance program held on weekends at Ninh Kieu Wharf has become a familiar cultural activity over the years. With a socialized approach, involving many non-public art units, the program offers a diverse and appealing mix of traditional and modern elements. Many tourists visiting Can Tho have expressed their delight in watching these performances.

Building on the success of these regular art performance programs, the Can Tho City People's Committee has recently approved the proposal from the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism to continue these activities in 2025. According to the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, four regular programs will be organized. These include the "Don ca tai tu" art performance program at Cai Rang Floating Market every Saturday and Sunday morning. It is expected that there will be 104 programs in the year, each lasting 60 minutes, featuring and promoting pieces from the 20 fundamental pieces of "Don ca tai tu" and excerpts of reformed theater. The Tay Do Theater will perform 52 programs every Saturday morning, and the Culture, Sports, and Radio Center of Cai Rang District will perform 52 programs every Sunday morning.

Another successful program maintained by the Tay Do Theater is the "Da co Cam Thi" art program, held regularly at 7 PM on the last Sunday of each month. This program serves the audience directly with reformed theater excerpts, "vong co" songs, and musical scenes, led by the Tay Do Theater in collaboration with public and non-public performance units in the city.

On Saturday evenings at Ninh Kieu Wharf, two series of programs will take place: "Don ca tai tu," reformed theater performances, and mixed art performances. These two programs will alternate weekly, with the first program starting in April 2025. This year, the Can Tho City Culture Center is investing heavily in these two programs. For the "Don ca tai tu" and reformed theater performance program, the organizers are focusing on collecting and using works that promote Can Tho tourism, combining previously composed pieces with new compositions that suit modern life to attract more young audiences. The program will feature a connected arrangement of performances through narration to create continuity and vibrancy, and will also add dance performances to the singing. For the mixed art performance program, the novelty lies in the combination of traditional and modern elements, with a variety of genres and forms of performance, from folk instrumental ensembles, folk songs, and chants to youth music, folk dances, modern dances, and sports dances, with a consistent content and commentary connecting each performance.