E-magazine Experience the art of hát bội at the museum: When heritage “touches” the young generation

The space of Gia Lai Provincial Museum suddenly became more bustling and exciting than usual with the presence of more than 20 teachers and students of FPT Quy Nhon High School (including 8 students from Japan) coming to visit, experience and learn about the art of Hat Boi. This is one of the meaningful activities within the framework of the Heritage 2025 International Summer Camp organized by the school, lasting from July 21 to 27.

Right from the beginning of entering the museum, the young people were attracted by the tour guide's introduction about the cultural heritage of Gia Lai. The hundreds of years of history of the art of hát bội were vividly recreated through the stories, artifacts and images on display. The students partly understood that hát bội is a comprehensive form of theatrical art, containing literature, music , dance and fine arts, deeply reflecting the soul and character of the Vietnamese people.

Students of FPT High School Quy Nhon introduce to Japanese students about opera masks. **Photo: Ngoc Nhuan**

The atmosphere of the experience was pushed to a climax when the mother and daughter Meritorious Artist Le Hoa and Artist Diem Thi of the Nhon Hung Opera Troupe stepped onto the stage to perform the excerpt Duong Loan Anh - Doan Hong Ngoc Ha Son (play Ngu Ho Binh Nam ). The urgent drum beats, the melodious zither sounds mixed with each verse of the song, the choreography of the two artists, all created a strong attraction that made the children watch attentively without taking their eyes off.

“Looking at the attentive, curious eyes of the students in the country and the Japanese, I feel warm. Bringing the art of hát bội to the young generation in this way will spread the heritage value closer to the public,” added Meritorious Artist Lê Hoa.

Meanwhile, young artist Diem Thi could not hide her joy: “Seeing the children so excited to watch the opera, I am very happy. That is the greatest encouragement for an artist. Hopefully there will be more meaningful activities like this so that artists can “keep the fire” of their ancestors’ profession alive, so that more young people can go watch the opera.”

The highlight of the program was the experience of painting opera masks. Under the guidance of the artist, the students learned about the colors and conventional makeup lines for each type of character on the opera stage. They held the brushes, mixed the colors and expressed their creativity on each opera mask blank. Each finished mask was not only a souvenir, but also left a deep impression on the memorable experience.

The highlight of the program is the experience of painting opera masks. **Photo: Ngoc Nhuan**

According to Ms. Vo Dieu Minh - Student Affairs Officer of FPT Quy Nhon High School, the Heritage 2025 International Summer Camp program aims to connect and exchange Vietnamese and Japanese students to learn about the culture, local people and the sea and islands of Gia Lai . "This is a way to help students "touch" the heritage in the most authentic way, while promoting Gia Lai's cultural heritage to international friends" - Ms. Minh said.

A Japanese teacher (right) enjoys looking at the collection of opera masks at the museum. **Photo: Ngoc Nhuan**

Nguyen Tran Quynh Anh, a student of class 12A4 at FPT Quy Nhon High School, excitedly said: “Today, my friends and I, especially Japanese friends, had the opportunity to visit Gia Lai Museum, not only to learn more information about the museum, but also to experience the beauty of hát bội. I hope that Japanese friends will be “cultural ambassadors” to promote the beauty of Vietnamese culture to your country.”

For students from Japan, this is a meaningful exploration of the history and culture of Vietnam in general and Gia Lai province in particular. Takahashi Junnosuke, a male student from Shibaura Institute of Technology Junior Senior High School (Japan), shared: “In Japan, we also have masked plays. But when watching Vietnamese opera, I see that the art of makeup, costumes, music and performance have a very unique and attractive color. This is truly a wonderful experience.”

Within the framework of the Heritage 2025 International Summer Camp, students will also participate in many other exciting experiences at destinations in Gia Lai such as: Ky Co Tourist Area, Center for Science Discovery and Innovation, Phu Gia Conical Hat Craft Village, Quang Trung Museum; exploring the sea and islands in Dak Lak province.