Students explore the art of Hue Tuong masks

Meritorious Artist La Thanh Hung painting a Tuong mask for students

The activity featured the participation of Mr. La Thanh Hung, a Tuong mask artisan, along with three artists from Hue Royal Traditional Arts Theatre. These are prominent figures with extensive experience in the field of Hue Tuong, a distinctive form of traditional theatre closely associated with the cultural life of the Ancient Capital.

As part of the program, students engaged in exchanges and learned about the overall characteristics of Hue Tuong, with particular emphasis on the art of mask painting, the element that creates the identity and expressive depth of stage characters. Artist La Thanh Hung, meritorious artisan, directly introduced the meanings of colors and lines on Tuong masks and conducted a live mask-painting demonstration for students right in the auditorium.

In addition, the artists performed an excerpt from a typical Tuong play, giving students a direct and vivid experience of this traditional art form through a lively stage setting. The discussion and interaction between the artists and students took place enthusiastically, with many questions focusing on the process of learning the craft, sustaining the profession, and concerns related to preserving and promoting the value of Tuong art in contemporary life.

After the main program, students were divided into small groups to meet directly with the artisans and artists, conduct interviews, and complete required learning outputs for the course, including an information board about an artisan and a reflection video on the Hue Tuong mask that left the strongest impression.