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As international integration deepens, artists from Hai Phong are working to bring traditional arts to audiences around the world, helping showcase the port city's cultural heritage.
Bringing Vietnamese culture abroad
On the evening of September 2, at the Vietnamese Embassy in Warsaw, artists from the Hai Phong Traditional Theatre staged an artistic program as Vietnam marked its National Day.
Thousands of kilometres from home, the artists brought traditional Vietnamese music, dance and theatre to audiences in Poland, creating a vivid connection between the performers, the Vietnamese community and international guests. The performances spoke for themselves, with music, movement, costumes and puppetry offering a glimpse into Vietnamese culture.
For Vietnamese people living in Poland, the programme was also a chance to reconnect with their homeland on an important national occasion.
Nguyen Le Hung, Vice Chairman of the Association of Vietnamese People in Poland, said programmes like these not only bring the Vietnamese community together but also give younger generations living abroad a better understanding of their cultural heritage, helping them preserve and pass on those traditions.
He said the Vietnamese community in Poland also has a role to play in preserving Vietnamese culture and sharing it with younger generations and international audiences.
During the tour, the Hai Phong artists also took part in the “Vietnamese Cultural Bridge” programm in front of the ASEAN Tow Centre, as well as the Dożynki Harvest Festival in Raszyn, Mazowieckie Province.
The Hai Phong artists also took their traditional performances to community events, where audiences could experience Vietnamese cuisine, ao dai and cultural exchange activities alongside the shows. Many local residents were impressed by the performances and the attention to detail in everything from the costumes and music to the staging.
The effort to take Hai Phong's traditional arts abroad began many years ago. The Hai Phong Puppetry Troupe, now part of the Hai Phong Traditional Theatre, has repeatedly taken Vietnamese puppetry to stages around the world. In 2019, at the 10th International Puppet Theatre Festival in Moscow, Russia, its water puppet production “Stories from the Village” won a gold medal.
The troupe had previously taken part in art festivals in China, tourism promotion programs in Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia, as well as numerous cultural exchange activities.
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Culture is becoming an increasingly important part of diplomacy. At international events, traditional art can offer audiences a more direct glimpse of a country through its music, images and performances, rather than words alone.
Vietnamese Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Poland Ha Hoang Hai said culture has long been an important pillar of friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Poland. The presence of Hai Phong's art troupe, particularly its puppetry performances, helps highlight Vietnam's long-standing cultural traditions while creating further opportunities for Vietnamese culture to reach wider audiences.
For Hai Phong, these overseas tours also tell the story of a port city in their own way. Through traditional arts, the image of Hai Phong gains new cultural dimensions: a land with a rich history, a vibrant artistic life and generations of artists carrying forward values handed down over time.
Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy, Director of the Hai Phong Traditional Theatre, said taking traditional arts abroad is both a responsibility to preserve and promote the nation's cultural heritage and an opportunity for artists to learn and explore new approaches.
For Vietnamese people living abroad, traditional performances offer a way to stay connected to their cultural roots. For younger generations, they provide a direct and engaging way to experience Vietnamese culture, not only through books but also through live performances, music and visual art.
Through their continued efforts, Hai Phong's artists are helping share the story of their homeland with international audiences and bringing the city's traditional arts to a wider world.
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