The 20th "Golden Bell of Traditional Music" exchange with naval soldiers of Brigade 167

Contestants of the 20th "Golden Bell of Traditional Music" - 2025 and navy soldiers

On July 20, in the warm atmosphere of the 167th Brigade Hall - Naval Region 2, the Exchange program with soldiers of the Naval Region 2 Command took place very lively. 16 candidates in the selection round of the 20th "Golden Bell of Traditional Music" contest - 2025 had a memorable artistic and emotional exchange with the Navy soldiers who are guarding the sea and sky of the Fatherland day and night.
Mr. Tran Hien Phuong - Deputy Head of the Arts Department of Ho Chi Minh City Television - said: "This is a valuable experience, not simply a performance, it is a meeting between two generations, two front lines - young people preserving artistic traditions and soldiers protecting the border".

Golden Bell: Songs that light up patriotism

The program opened with the performance "The Country is Full of Joy" performed by the choir of soldiers of Ship 380, bringing a heroic and proud atmosphere like the spirit of marine soldiers in peacetime.

Immediately after that, the contestants of "Chuong Vang vong co" brought outstanding excerpts, full of Southern character such as: "Tay Son buoc chan hao kiet" (Nguyen Phu Yen and Lam Thi Thuy Linh), "Tinh nguoi y thiep" (Nguyen Thanh Nho, Nguyen Thi My Duyen) - performances that showed off their voices, expressed the cultural depth and overflowing emotions of vong co songs.

Soldiers of Ship 380 sing the song "The Country is Full of Joy"

What is special is that the young singers who entered the Selection round this time brought with them passion and gratitude to sing for the marines – people they have never met but always admire from the bottom of their hearts. For the contestants, this is a precious opportunity to see and touch the reality of life at the forefront of the waves and wind, and to understand that the vọng cổ song has resonated far and wide, touching the hearts of the soldiers.

Golden Bell of Traditional Music: Where Art is Power

In the midst of long patrols and sleepless nights on duty, Navy soldiers still find peace in vọng cổ songs. They themselves share: "Listening to cải lương makes me miss home, see my homeland, and gives me more motivation to overcome all challenges." A soldier volunteered to perform a vọng cổ song that moved the whole hall, even though he was from the Central region and did not know the rhythm well, and the lyrics were sometimes "out of breath", but it was a passion for vọng cổ songs.

Navy soldiers of Brigade 167 interact with contestants of the 20th "Golden Bell of Traditional Music" - 2025

The short conversation between the soldier and the contestant, the Q&A sessions and the quiz with knowledge about the sea and islands, about the "Golden Bell of Traditional Music" contest have brought the distance between the "future artist" and the "marine soldier" closer. They are no longer people of two worlds , but comrades on the same journey to preserve the Vietnamese soul.

Connecting cultures - Connecting the country

During the program, representatives of sponsor SAIGONBANK and Ho Chi Minh City Television presented souvenirs as a deep gratitude to Brigade 167.

But perhaps the greatest gift is the presence, affection and singing of the 16 contestants – the young representatives of the 20-year journey of this meaningful competition.

Contestants of the 20th "Golden Bell of Traditional Music" - 2025 visit Brigade 167

The exchange ended with a radiant group photo and the song "Joining hands together", but the echoes lingered on. The contestants continued to visit the living and working area - where the soldiers planted trees, raised livestock, and trained - and together shouted: "Wishing the Golden Bell contest great success!" - a wish from the forefront, like a silent but strong handshake between art and the frontier.

Golden bells echo in the middle of the ocean

20 seasons of "Chuong Vang vong co" have passed, but this year's exchange is a special mark: for the first time, the rhythm of cai luong resounds in the military port of Brigade 167 - a borderland where there are only storms and waves, now carrying heavy sentiments when HTV brings the homeland's songs to marines far from home.

The performance "Tay Son steps of heroes" performed by Nguyen Phu Yen and Lam Thi Thuy Linh

This first experiential program has helped the competition demonstrate social responsibility, affirming that traditional culture can completely become a part of contemporary life, penetrate the hearts of soldiers, and contribute to fostering national identity, ideals and pride.
"Chuong Vang vong co" has resounded from the HTV stage to every corner of the country. And from there, a new love for vong co has been planted in the hearts of soldiers so that they can hold their guns firmly to protect the sovereignty of our beloved sea and islands.

Candidates Lam Nhat Dang and Pham Van Tan presented the soldiers with two unexpected performances, touching them with their voices carrying the pride of a navy soldier.

Some pictures of the meaningful exchange program: