Life of King Tu Duc on stage

King Tu Duc, the longest reigning monarch of the Nguyen Dynasty, was brought to life this week in a new stage play.
Life of King Tu Duc on stage ảnh 1The tomb of King Tu Duc is located in Hue city (Source: dulichhue.com)

Thua Thien-Hue (VNA) - King Tu Duc, the longest reigning monarch of the Nguyen Dynasty, was brought to life this week in a new stage play.

The tuong (classical drama) was staged by the Hue Royal Arts Theatre and will compete in a 2016 Professional Tuong and Folk Opera Competition being organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Da Nang in late August.

The play, entitled Bi Kich Hoang De Thi Si (Tragedy of the Poet King), is being staged by director La Hung with the participation of 50 artists and musicians.

Researcher Phan Thuan An said that the theatre was courageous to portray the life of King Tu Duc on stage.

“I said ‘courageous’ because, until now, we do not know everything about the life of the king,” An said. “We do not know about all of his pains and his innermost feelings. We know that he loved literature, arts and had a deep knowledge of the country’s history and its historical personalities. He was also active in resisting the French invaders… But there are still a lot of questions about his life.”

King Tu Duc, born in 1829, was the fourth emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty, ruling from 1847 until his death in 1883 at the age of 55.

A case of smallpox at the age of eight left him sterile and he had no children, despite keeping a huge harem of wives at his palace.

Even though many details of his life remain hidden, he is believed to have been a good king. He also wrote poems about hundreds of the country’s historic personalities. He used to read books until late at night, and paid great attention to the life of local inhabitants.

Director Nguyen Van Thanh said that Tu Duc was a patriot who expressed his love for the country through the poems he wrote.

“This play helps the audience know more about the history of the country. It is not easy to feature his life in only two hours,” he said.

Nguyen Phuoc Hai Trung, who wrote the script for the play, said the king lived through a series of tragedies in his private life and in the life of the country.

“The king talked about those tragedies in his poems,” he said. “The biggest tragedy of his personal life was the fact that he could not have any children, although he had over 100 wives and concubines. He was also helpless in the face of local authorities’ corruption and poor treatment towards local inhabitants. The biggest tragedy for the emperor was losing his country to French invaders despite all his resistance efforts.”-VNA

VNA

See more

Khmer traditional musical equipment handed over to Khmer traditional music clubs and groups. (Photo: VNA)

Soc Trang works to preserve ethnic minorities’ culture

The Party Committee and People's Committee of Soc Trang province where more than 35% of total population are ethnic minorities have always paid attention to preserving and promoting the traditional values of local ethnic minorities.

A performance programme at a Nguyen Tieu petry night event in 2023. (Photo: VNA)

Ninh Binh to host Vietnam Poetry Day 2025

The 23rd Vietnam Poetry Day will bring together poets born during the resistance wars against the US imperialists, after 1975, during the “Doi moi” (renewal) process until 2000, and after 2000.

Singer My Linh performs at the concert. (Photo: VNA)

“New Year Concert 2025” held in Hanoi

The “New Year Concert 2025” took place at the Ho Guom Opera House in Hanoi on February 5, presenting a mix of famous Vietnamese songs and timeless foreign classical masterpieces

Vietnamese students of Osaka University take a group photo at the Vietnamese Culture Day in Japan programme (Photo: VNA)

Tokyo event honours Vietnamese language, culture

The Vietnamese Culture Day in Japan programme took place in Tokyo on February 4, featuring a array of captivating performances, including Vietnamese poetry readings, traditional songs, and a theatrical adaptation of the folk tale Tam Cam.

The Muong ethnic women at the Khai ha festival (Photo: VNA)

Traditional festivals mark Lunar New Year celebrations

Thousands gathered for the Khai ha (going down to the field) festival, the largest traditional one of the Muong ethnic people, in Phong Phu commune, Tan Lac district, Hoa Binh province on the 8th day of the Lunar New Year.

People attend activities within the framework of the Hung Kings Commemoration Day on April 18, 2024. (Photo: VNA)

Hung Kings Commemoration Day contributes to promoting heritage

The events aim to educate the tradition of patriotism and gratitude to the Hung Kings and ancestors who contributed to building and protecting the nation; as well as contribute to popularising tourism and local cultural heritage towards promoting tourism and economic development in the province.

The Mother Au Co Temple Festival opens in Hien Luong commune, Ha Hoa district, Phu Tho province, with a ritual honouring the guardian deity at the local communal house. (Photo: VNA)

Spring festivals open in HCM City, Phu Tho

The “Khai ha - Cau an” Festival in Ho Chi Minh City and another dedicated to Mother Au Co in the northern province of Phu Tho, both named as national intangible cultural heritage, opened on February 4.