HCM CITY — A variety show featuring Củ Chi's land and people will be staged by young artists from the Trần Hữu Trang Cải Lương Theatre in HCM City this month. 

The event, Trăng Chiến Khu (Guerrilla Moon), is part of a night tour programme offered by the Củ Chi Tunnels Relic’s managing board of Củ Chi District. 

It is designed to provide tourists with the history, culture, and lifestyle of people living in the heroic land of Củ Chi. 

A taste of traditional theatre in the South is also highlighted.  

More than 20 artists will perform traditional dances and songs along with vọng cổ (nostalgic tunes) and cải lương (reformed opera) – two genres of southern theatre which began more than 100 years ago. 

The artists will use their art to depict images of Củ Chi people and soldiers living in the 1960s during the anti-American war. 

They will also use historical artefacts and objects, such as tools, clothing, and daily essentials made by Củ Chi people and soldiers, to demonstrate the show’s topic. 

Sounds, especially music, and light effects will be used. 

After the show, the audience will be invited to visit and give incense offerings at the Vietnamese Heroic Mothers and Fallen Soldiers Memorial Area at the Củ Chi Traditional House.

“Our new show, Trăng Chiến Khu, tells the stories of Củ Chi people and their history, culture and lifestyle. We hope visitors will be entertained and learn more about the South’s history and people, and our heroic land, Củ Chi,” said Trần Minh Tâm, deputy director of Củ Chi Tunnels Relic.   

According to Tâm, the show is designed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and national reunification (April 30, 1975 – 2025). “We are very happy and honoured to join this performance,” he added. 

Củ Chi is located 70 kilometres north-west of HCM City. The 250-km-long Củ Chi Tunnels complex was built in the late 1940s and underwent intense bombardment by the Americans in the 1960s.

It served as communication and supply routes, hospitals, food and weaponry storage, and living quarters.

It began to be known as a “barren land” between 1969 and 1972 as no animal or plant could live there due to US bombs and the use of Agent Orange and dioxins.

Today, the tunnels have been preserved for tourism purposes. It annually attracts around 1.5 million foreign and local visitors from different countries. 

The show Trăng Chiến Khu will begin at 7pm on April 12, 19 and 26 at a price of VNĐ399,000 (US$15.96) per person. — VNS