Stories of people who transformed into fairy tales

Having been involved in Mid-Autumn Festival cultural programs for decades, every full moon of August, Ms. Le Thuong - an actress at Ha Tinh Traditional Arts Theater, eagerly prepares for her familiar role: Hang Nga.

What is special is that most of them are not performances on the theater stage, but are festivals at the Ha Tinh Orphanage, rural areas, hospital pediatric departments or charity programs.

Actress Le Thuong - who often plays the role of Hang Nga in the full moon festivals during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

“The opportunity to play the role of Hang came to me when I was still a student. At that time, the school organized a program for children in difficult circumstances and lacked people to play the role, so I volunteered. Who would have thought that since then, every moon season, I would be attached to this character, and it has been nearly 15 years now,” Ms. Thuong recalls.

In 2013, after working at the Provincial Traditional Arts Theater, in addition to stage roles, she was continuously invited to participate in the Mid-Autumn Festival program. On average, each season she participated in 8-10 festivals, everyone wished she was Hang Nga - the one who brought the children into the fairy tale world .

Ms. Hang Nga (Le Thuong) talks with children in a Mid-Autumn Festival program.

“Even though it’s just one role, each time it brings me new emotions. The souls of children are extremely rich, the naive and innocent questions of the children always surprise and delight me. When I get into character, I forget that I am an actor, I am just a fairy tale character talking, sending a humane and noble message to the children. Looking at the children’s eyes shining with happiness, I feel empowered,” Ms. Thuong expressed.

Among many memories, Ms. Thuong still remembers the festival night at the Pediatrics Department - Provincial General Hospital in 2022. When giving gifts to the patients, a child who was being treated for kidney disease raised her hand: "Ms. Hang, please help me get well so I can go home to carry lanterns with my friends!". She was stunned, then quickly smiled gently: "I will try to listen to the doctor, I will definitely be able to carry lanterns next year during the Mid-Autumn Festival". The sparkling smiles of the young patients that day became the motivation for her to continue playing the role, to make each moon season more meaningful.

With their enthusiasm, the people who impersonate Hang and Cuoi have become characters that children look forward to in Mid-Autumn Festival programs.

Not only stage artists, many teachers also become "fire keepers" of the Mid-Autumn Festival with their enthusiastic transformations. Ms. Phan Thi Nhu Quynh - teacher in charge of the Youth Union, Albert Einstein Primary, Secondary and High School (Thanh Sen Ward) shared: "Wearing a gorgeous dress, light makeup, when the lights turned on and the screen showed the fairy moon, I suddenly felt like I was no longer the usual teacher but the cheerful and friendly Hang Nga. The children also believed so, their sparkling eyes, innocent requests made me feel as happy as the children themselves."

Ms. Phan Thi Nhu Quynh - Teacher in charge of the Youth Union, Albert Einstein Primary, Secondary and High School.

That joy comes not only from the stage lights but also from the spread of love. The actors understand that children always yearn for a beautiful world, full of miracles. They, through their incarnation, have partly made that wish come true.

If Hang is the embodiment of gentleness and holiness, Cuoi brings laughter. Every Mid-Autumn Festival night, this character is the center of attention, stirring up the atmosphere with his innocence, fun, but also sincerity and loveliness.

According to Ms. Le Thuong, every program with the appearance of Uncle Cuoi makes the joy more complete. That role sometimes requires the person playing the role to overcome shyness, because not everyone can easily transform into a playful, witty character. But the love of children has made many people willing to "commit".

Ms. Hang Nga, Mr. Cuoi and students of Albert Einstein Primary, Secondary and High School in the program "Happy Mid-Autumn Festival" in 2025.

Mr. Tran Van Nhat - a teacher at Albert Einstein Primary, Secondary & High School said: “At first, I was quite shy. I am a teacher but I have to act childish and somewhat naive. But when I transformed, I forgot all my shyness, seeing this as an opportunity to bring joy to the children, and at the same time help them understand more about the cultural traditions of the nation through the Mid-Autumn Festival. Seeing the children smile brightly, I understood the true value of this role.”

Not only bringing joy, the incarnation of “Sister Hang” and “Uncle Cuoi” is also a gentle but profound way of education . Through the stories and messages in the program, children learn lessons about love, sharing and good dreams.

Breaking the image of a grown man to transform into a fairy tale character to bring joy to children during the Mid-Autumn Festival is a "sacrifice" of many people.

In modern society, where many technological games dominate childhood, the appearance of fairy tale characters becomes more precious. It is not only a sweet memory passed down from the previous generation, but also a way to preserve the national soul during the full moon festival nights.

Ms. Le Thuong shared: “I always tell myself that I am not just an actor but a bridge to bring children closer to traditional values. When I see the eager eyes and innocent questions of the children, I believe more and more that this transformation is a “magic” to bring joy to the children and happiness to myself.”

Children of Ha Tinh Orphanage enjoy Mid-Autumn Festival.

Mid-Autumn Festival is not only an occasion for children to have fun, but also a moment for adults to send messages of love, to preserve beautiful memories of childhood together. Those who transform into “Sister Hang” and “Uncle Cuoi”, whether artists, teachers or volunteers, have become a part of those memories. They not only “act” but also “live” in the characters, to convey the message: childhood needs dreams, and those dreams will shine when given wings by love.

Like the full moon shining everywhere, the "magic" of the actor has brightened the children's smiles, making each Mid-Autumn Festival more meaningful and fuller.

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/chuyen-nhung-nguoi-hoa-than-vao-co-tich-post296771.html