According to Google Doodle, a blend of traditional and contemporary influences, cải lương combines opera with spoken drama to create a vibrant expression of Vietnamese culture and identity.

Google Doodle marks Vietnam’s Cải Lương folk opera.

Loosely translated to “reformed theatre,” the form evolved from the traditional Vietnamese opera called hát bội of southern Vietnam’s Mekong Delta at the turn of the 20th century.

Accompanied by an orchestra containing traditional Vietnamese instruments like the đàn tranh (six-string zither), cải lương brings to life a wide range of stories, from ancient legends of monarchs and warriors to explorations of modern Vietnamese social themes. While the subject material may vary, one common element is the signature melancholic song structure called vọng cổ, which translates to “nostalgia for the past.”

One of the most iconic cải lương productions is Tiếng Trống Mê Linh, which translates roughly to The Drum Sound of Mê Linh. The historical play tells the true story of Trưng Trắc and Trưng Nhị, two sisters who helped lead the fight for Vietnamese independence from the Chinese Han Dynasty in the first century. A classic of the artform, Tiếng Trống Mê Linh has been staged by many of Vietnam’s top cải lương performers since it first debuted in 1977, Google Doodle said.

Over a century on from its birth, Cai luong is still popular today as one of the Vietnamese unique art forms that provide a vital link to a bygone era from the country’s history.

Earlier, the central province of Quang Nam’s Hoi An City with stunning colourful lanterns in full moonlight and Vietnamese delicacy Banh Mi were also honoured by Google Doodle. Dtinews/Laodong

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