A ceremony was held at Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street in downtown Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday to celebrate 100 years of the development of ‘cai luong,’ a form of modern folk opera popular in southern Vietnam.

‘Cai luong’ originated in southern Vietnam in the early 20th century and blossomed in the 1930s as a theater form of the middle class during the country's French colonial period.

Blending Vietnamese folk songs, classical music, classical theater and modern spoken drama, ‘cai luong’ is now promoted as a national theatrical form.

According to cultural researcher Vuong Hong Sen, the first notable introduction of ‘cai luong’ in Vietnamese popular culture was the premiere of ‘Gia Long tau quoc,’ a play about the first emperor of the Nguyen dynasty of Vietnam, at a theater in Saigon, the former name of Ho Chi Minh City, on November 16, 1918.

‘Cai luong,’ literally meaning ‘reformed theater,’ normally highlights and praises Vietnamese moral values, either through stories about modern Vietnamese society or based on a tale, legend or historical story of the feudal system.

Around 1,000 guests and officials attended the outdoor ceremony on Sunday evening to honor the 100-year form of theater.

Over 400 ‘cai luong’ singers from different generations of artists gathered at the special event, co-organized by Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper and the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports.

Eleven families and 30 artists who made notable contributions to the development of ‘cai luong’ in Vietnam were also honored in the event.

Artists perform at a ceremony celebrating 100 years of the development of ‘cai luong’ in Ho Chi Minh City on January 13, 2019. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Artists perform at a ceremony celebrating 100 years of the development of ‘cai luong’ in Ho Chi Minh City on January 13, 2019. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Artists perform at a ceremony celebrating 100 years of the development of ‘cai luong’ in Ho Chi Minh City on January 13, 2019. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Artists perform at a ceremony celebrating 100 years of the development of ‘cai luong’ in Ho Chi Minh City on January 13, 2019. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Artists perform at a ceremony celebrating 100 years of the development of ‘cai luong’ in Ho Chi Minh City on January 13, 2019. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Artists perform at a ceremony celebrating 100 years of the development of ‘cai luong’ in Ho Chi Minh City on January 13, 2019. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Artists perform at a ceremony celebrating 100 years of the development of ‘cai luong’ in Ho Chi Minh City on January 13, 2019. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Artists perform at a ceremony celebrating 100 years of the development of ‘cai luong’ in Ho Chi Minh City on January 13, 2019. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Artists perform at a ceremony celebrating 100 years of the development of ‘cai luong’ in Ho Chi Minh City on January 13, 2019. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Artists perform at a ceremony celebrating 100 years of the development of ‘cai luong’ in Ho Chi Minh City on January 13, 2019. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!