Artists from the Hoàng Thái Thanh Stage in HCM City perform in the play Bông Hồng Cài Áo (The Rose on the Shirt), a work about motherly love. The play is being restaged to celebrate Vu Lan, the Buddhist festival held during the seventh lunar month that celebrates a mother's love.  Photo by Hoàng Kim

By Thu Anh

HCM CITY A play on motherly love will be restaged in a new version by the Hoàng Thái Thanh Stage in HCM City, 50 years after its first release to celebrate a Buddhist festival.    

The work, Bông Hồng Cài Áo (The Rose on the Shirt), celebrates Vu Lan, the Buddhist festival held during the seventh lunar month every year, which shows gratitude for motherly love.  

It centres on a poor woman who sacrifices everything to give her children a better life.

Since its debut by the Kim Cương Drama Troupe in HCM City in 1969, the play has been staged many times by drama troupes in HCM City and southern provinces.

“The spirit of Bông Hồng Cài Áo is fresh in the minds of theatre lovers of different generations. In my new version, the play’s topical messages have been retained,” the play’s director Ái Như said.

“We offer Bông Hồng Cài Áo during the Vu Lan season because it is the time for people, especially youth, to look back and remember their mother's love and sacrifices.”

"We’re not looking to make a profit from these shows. We hope to encourage young people to love and respect their mothers much more,” she said.

Như’s new version is performed by veteran actors Thành Hội, Bích Ngọc and Quốc Thái, graduates of the HCM City University of Theatre and Cinematography.

It also stars young talents such as Phương Trâm and Tấn Đạt.

The play’s premiere at Hoàng Thái Thanh Stage last Saturday attracted more than 400 guests.

The play will be staged at 8pm every weekend this month at 139 Bắc Hải Street, District 10. 

During Vu Lan month, vegetarian restaurants are offering many kinds of dishes, including stalls in Bến Thành and An Đông markets which are selling five different dishes for VNĐ25,000-30,000 ($1.5) each. 

Other dishes include bì chay (rolls with vermicelli and shredded crispy mock pork) and gỏi cuốn (spring rolls with vermicelli and mock shrimp), priced between VNĐ10,000 and VNĐ15,000 ($0.6) each.  

For people who want fast food, street vendors offer hủ tiếu khô (fried noodles with mushroom, tofu, carrot and white cabbage used with soy sauce) at only VNĐ10,000 ($0.4).

“Hủ tiếu khô is my breakfast bestseller for students and labourers,” said Mai Thị Cúc, a vendor who sells vegetarian food at Phạm Văn Hai Market in Tân Bình District.

Many restaurants and hotels will provide vegetarian buffets every weekend and the 15^th day of this month. Menus include 35-40 dishes at VNĐ300,000 ($15) to VNĐ700,000 ($33) per person.

“It has been easy for me to find vegetarian products in restaurants and on the street this month,” said Nguyễn Mỹ Hạnh, a resident of Bình Thạnh District. “As Vietnamese tradition, my friends and my family eat at least one vegetarian meal in lunar July. Many people eat vegetarian food for the entire month. We eat it for both religious and health reasons." VNS