From now on, Hanoi residents and visitors will have the chance to enjoy various genres of stage performances such as circus, short play, cai luong folk singing and puppetry organized by the city's theaters for free.

A Cheo folk singing performance was organized Monument ‘Determined to Brave Death for the Survival of the Fatherland’. Photo: useful.vn

As an effort of the local authority to bring stage performances closer to Hanoi audiences, a plan on holding cultural activities on weekends has just been approved by the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports. It also aims to further promote Vietnam’s traditional arts among local and international visitors.

Accordingly, some circus shows and other entertainment activities will be performed by the Hanoi Circus and Variety Arts Theater at 8pm on the first and second weekend of the month. An outdoor circus stage will be installed in front of the Monument ‘Determined to Brave Death for the Survival of the Fatherland’.

At the same time, the Hanoi Drama Theater will perform outdoor excerpts and short plays in front of Cong Nhan Theater (No 42 Trang Tien Street, Hoan Kiem District); meanwhile, the Thang Long Puppet Theater will perform songs, dances, music and puppet shows in front of its premise at No.57 Dinh Tien Hoang Street.

Starting at 8pm on the first and second Friday and Saturday of the month, the Hanoi Cheo Theater will hold various types of Vietnamese folk performances such as Xam, Cheo singing, and folk comedy among others at the outdoor stage in front of Ba Kieu Temple. Meanwhile, the artists from Hanoi Cai Luong Theatre will perform thematic cai luong play extracts in front of Chuong Vang Theatre (No 72 Hang Bac Street).

Folk performances were regularly organized at the pedestrian zones around Hoan Kiem Lake before Covid-19. Photo: vntrip.vn

In addition, at 8pm on the third and fourth Saturday and Sunday of the month, Thang Long Music and Dance Theater will entertain audiences with free musical repertoire at the stage in the area of Ba Kieu Temple’s flower garden.

Other performances and cultural activities will also be organized to entertain people and visitors to Hanoi in some public areas such as the Octagonal House (behind King Ly Cong Uan Monument) and the square at the junction of Hang Khay, Hang Bai and Trang Tien Street.

All the performances mentioned above will be held alternately and scheduled by the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports.

Enjoying free art and music performances in Hanoi’s Old Quarter on weekends had been a hobby of Hanoians for a long time before the pandemic. According to Hanoi’s Old Quarter Management Committee, the unit will run shows of different genres of music and arts at night on weekends.

“Ceremonial, ritual or blind musicians singing will take turns to become the center stage on weekend nights,” she stated.