Tran Duc Thuan from Thanh Hoa Province never cared about traditional Vietnamese opera. He saw it as something irrelevant to him.
Then he stumbled upon a TikTok video featuring a cheo performer’s transformation, and everything changed.
“I didn’t use to care about traditional arts,” Thuan shared, “but once I accidentally watched a clip of a cheo character transformation on TikTok, I had to stop and watch it to the end. From then on, I started following the fan page, reading the articles, and felt proud of our nation’s heritage values.”
That viral moment wasn’t an accident. It was the result of a cultural initiative launched in March 2024 by a group of over 10 people in their twenties and thirties, united by their shared love and deep concern for national culture.
The project behind that viral video is called “Xin Chao Viet Nam” (Hello Viet Nam) - a multi-platform media and cultural initiative aimed at spreading and preserving the nation’s historical and cultural values.
Since launching, theatres partnering with the project have seen their performance schedules explode - from one show per month to three or four. Audience rates have increased by several hundred percent.
Without fanfare or glamour, “Xin Chao Viet Nam” has quietly built a space for approaching culture that is accessible, creative, and notably inspiring.
“We believe that traditional cultural values are what shape Vietnamese identity and character - the way of thinking, living, how we behave and communicate with the world,” says Pham Duc Long, the production director behind the project. “That’s why we chose to return to these values to explain the Vietnamese people in the depth of history and identity.”
The project builds a cohesive and diverse content ecosystem where history, cultural heritage, and food and travel content groups are designed to complement each other, creating a comprehensive experience for viewers. Historical stories are retold with fresh, dynamic approaches, helping young people feel more connected to the nation’s history of building and defending the country.
The culture-heritage section is one of the project's most prominent highlights, featuring elaborately produced videos exploring traditional art forms like cheo, tuong, water puppetry... presented from a youthful yet respectful perspective.
Long explained that the most important aspect of their approach is always starting from information depth, finding the essence. “Each piece of content is thoroughly researched, with consultation from official organizations to ensure accuracy and preserve the traditional values of national culture.”
The project has gained support from many traditional artists. “I’m impressed by the young people’s eagerness to learn and seriousness in the project,” notes Distinguished Artist Dao Tuan Hai from the Viet Nam Cheo Theatre. “They know how to make it accessible, lively and more attractive to young audiences.”
The project spans platforms - TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, even Threads. Thanks to this accessible yet profound approach, the project’s creative media products quickly gained attention on social media, creating positive ripple effects in the community.
Perhaps most importantly, the project is creating real-world change beyond the awareness level. According to Long, audience numbers at art performances have increased significantly.
The collaboration with the Viet Nam Women’s Museum exemplifies this impact. Museum Communications Director Le Cam Nhung explained: “To diversify our promotional methods and attract young people, we decided to partner with “Xin Chao Viet Nam.” Collaborative videos have attracted an abundance of likes, interactions and shares. As a result, the number of visitors coming to the museum and wanting to experience our programmes has increased steadily, up 20% compared to before.”
To expand their influence, the “Xin Chao Viet Nam” project is planning to develop English-language content.
