‘Gap nhau cuoi nam’ (literally ‘Year-end gathering’) also commonly known as Tao Quan (Kitchen Gods), is a Vietnamese annual TV satirical comedy that airs on New Year's Eve on the Vietnam Television (VTV). It is often under a plot of kitchen gods reporting their works throughout a year to the King of Heaven, is a familiar TV show most-awaited by Vietnamese families when Tet (Lunar New Year) comes. This Tet holiday, which falls on January 23, 2020, for the first time in 16 years, Vietnamese families will not sit down after dinner to watch the most anticipated TV show of the year. On November 22, Vietnam Television (VTV) and Vietnam Television Film Centre (VFC) declared that they will stop producing the show (Photo: Vietnam+) 
In the coming Lunar New Year, many families across Vietnam will still sit down together, but not with the same anticipation for a good laugh as they used to. This year, the ‘Year-end gathering show’ will entertain audience at 20:00 on January 24 (the last day of the lunar year) with a brand new format. Still, summed up the year's issues in Vietnamese society from good performances to bad governance, bureaucracy and corruption, all in a comedy performed by the country's top artists. The information was announced by Vietnam Television Film Centre at a press briefing in Hanoi on November 22, 2019 (Photo: Vietnam+) 
The show ‘Year-end gathering’ this year features diverse performances varying from comedy, singing, traditional and contemporary dancing, etc. The show will still feature some of the biggest names in comedy in Vietnam such as Quoc Khanh, Van Dung, Quang Thang, Tu Long, Cong Ly and Xuan Bac. It still retains the comedic view of the problems in Vietnamese economy and society throughout the year as Tao Quan did. This year, the ‘Year-end gathering show’ will entertain audience at 20:00 on January 24 (the last day of the lunar year) to replace the renowned ‘Tao Quan’ TV Show which has been familiar to Vietnamese people for several years (Photo: Vietnam+) 
The new plot evolves around characters in Vu Dai village (an imaginary location in late author’s Nam Cao short stories). Vu Dai village is closely associated with Nam Cao’s classic short stories of ‘Chi Pheo’, ‘Lao Hac’ (Old man Hac), and ‘Doi Thua’ (Redundant life) etc., about northern farmers during Vietnam’s colonial-feudal period. The village is also featured in a well-known Vietnamese film called ‘Lang Vu Dai ngay ay’(Vu Dai Village in the old days), considered one of the classics of 20th-century Vietnamese cinematography. All characters in Vu Dai village are going to be on stage in this year ‘Year-end gathering’ show (Photo: Vietnam+) 
Characters in Vu Dai village consist of famous protagonists and antagonists in Vietnamese literature works by late author Nam Cao. Nam Cao, whose real name is Tran Huu Tri (1917- 1951). He is one of the exemplary Vietnamese literary figures, an icon of the Vietnamese realism of the 20th century. Nam Cao was posthumously awarded Vietnam’s French Resistance Medal First-class and the Ho Chi Minh Prize for Literature and Arts in 1996. Nam Cao’s writing is profound, subtle, and full of sympathy for poor people. In 10 years, he wrote an impressive volume of work, including ‘Chi Pheo’, ‘Old Man Hac’, ‘Redundant Life’, and ‘Teacher Thu’ (Photo: Vietnam+) 
They are put into a ‘modern’ Vu Dai village, which has strived for developing tourism and economy, which, beside economic benefits, also adversely result in social vices and disturbances. The issues that Vu Dai villagers going through during the show are also actual problems facing Vietnamese economy and society throughout the year. They are all portrayed through a comedic view by renowned Vietnamese comedians, such as Chi Trung, Quoc Khanh, Van Dung, Quang Thang, Tu Long, Cong Ly, Xuan Bac, and so on. The artists are expected to bring Vietnamese audience good laughs at 20:00 on January 24 (the last day of the lunar year) (Photo: Vietnam+) 
Comedian Quang Thang will play role of ‘Mo’ (a guy who announces big events in the Northern village of Vietnam back in the old days). Under this role, he will enact hot social matters in a funny manner Artist Quang Thang (full name: Dang Quang Thang, 1968) has been a familiar face in Vietnamese comedy shows. He is especially known for his role of ‘Tao Kinh Te’ (Kitchen God in charge of Economic matters) in Tao Quan show. He also acts in several TV series and works as TV host. He was awarded with the national title of Meritorious Artist in 2015 (Photo: Vietnam+) 
Vietnamese characters are put into a ‘modern’ Vu Dai village, which has strived for developing tourism and economy. Beside economic benefits, the development also adversely results in social vices and disturbances. The issues that Vu Dai villagers going through during the show are also actual problems facing Vietnamese economy and society throughout the year. They are all portrayed through a comedic view by renowned Vietnamese comedians, such as Chi Trung, Quoc Khanh, Van Dung, Quang Thang, Tu Long, Cong Ly, Xuan Bac, and so on. The artists are expected to bring Vietnamese audience good laughs at 20:00 on January 24 (the last day of the lunar year) (Photo: Vietnam+) 
Actor Quoc Khanh will play role of Old man Hac (Lao Hac) in the short story of the same name by late author Nam Cao. Artist Quoc Khanh (full name: Nguyen Quoc Khanh, 1962) has been a familiar face in Vietnamese comedy shows and cinema. He started his acting career since 1982 after graduating from the first acting class by Vietnam National Drama Theatre). Actor Quoc Khanh has played the signature role of Jade Emperor in ‘Tao Quan’ show for many years with aplomb. His new role in the ‘Year-end gathering’ show this year is expected to make people both laugh and think as it touches deeply social matters (Photo: Vietnam+) 
Artist Xuan Hinh (Vietnamese comedian/vocalist of cheo, born in 1960) plays role of Chi Pheo, a renowned character in a short story of the same name by late author Nam Cao (1917-1951). The story takes place in Vu Dai Village, which is modeled after Nhan Hau Village, previously known as Dai Hoang Village. The village is located in Hoa Hau Commune in the northern province of Ha Nam, 40km from Hanoi. The work involves the decline of moral standards and loss many traditional values related to family and love in a colonial and semi-feudal society in Vietnam in the 1930s and 40s (Photo: Vietnam+) 
Artist Thanh Thanh Hien and People’s Artist Xuan Bac respectively play roles of Madame Pho Doan and ‘Redhead’ Xuan, two famous characters in late Vietnamese author Vu Trong Phung’s novel of So Do (Dumb Luck). The novel of So Do first published in Ha Noi in 1936, follows the absurd and unexpected rise within colonial society of a street-smart vagabond and social climber named Red-haired Xuan. The novel charts Xuan's fantastic social ascent and provides a panoramic view of colonial social order. The transformation of traditional Vietnamese class and gender relations triggered by the growth of colonial capitalism is its major theme (Photo: Vietnam+) 
Artist Chi Trung (full name Pham Chi Trung, 1961) plays role of a witty showman in Vu Dai village in the upcoming ‘Year-end show’. Chi Trung is especially known for his role of ‘Tao Giao Thong’ (Kitchen God in charge of Transportation matters) in Tao Quan show. He also acts in several TV series, movies and works as TV host for numerous shows in Vietnam. He was awarded with the national title of Meritorious Artist in1997. His new role in the ‘Year-end gathering’ show this year is expected to make people both laugh and think as it touches deeply social matters (Photo: Vietnam+) 
This Lunar New Year, which falls on January 23, 2020, for the first time in 16 years, Vietnamese families will not sit down after eve dinner to watch the most anticipated TV show of the year: Tao Quan. It is often under a plot of kitchen gods reporting their works throughout a year to Ngoc Hoang (Jade Emperor), is a familiar TV show most-anticipated by Vietnamese people when Tet holiday (Lunar New Year) comes.Despite the show's popularity, on November 22, Vietnam Television (VTV) and Vietnam Television Film Centre (VFC) declared that they would stop producing the show and replace it with a new format (Photo: Vietnam+) 
In the coming Lunar New Year, many families across Vietnam will still sit down together, but not with the same anticipation for a good laugh as they used to. Despite Tao Quan show’s popularity, on November 22, VTV and VFC declared that they will stop producing the show. This year, the ‘Year-end gathering show’ will entertain audience at 20:00 on January 24 (the last day of the lunar year) with a brand new format. Still, summed up the year's issues in Vietnamese society from good performances to bad governance, bureaucracy and corruption, all in a comedy performed by the country's top artists (Photo: Vietnam+) 
The show ‘Year-end gathering’ this year features diverse performances varying from comedy, singing, traditional and contemporary dancing, etc. The show will still feature some of the biggest names in comedy in Vietnam such as Quoc Khanh, Van Dung, Quang Thang, Tu Long, Cong Ly, Xuan Bac and so on. It still retains the comedic view of the problems in Vietnamese economy and society throughout the year as Tao Quan did. This year, the ‘Year-end gathering show’ will entertain audience at 20:00 on January 24 (the last day of the lunar year) to replace the renowned ‘Tao Quan’ TV Show which has been familiar to Vietnamese people for several years (Photo: Vietnam+) VNA
