Originated in the 10th century, Cheo is a unique folk theater art form and holds an important position in the cultural and spiritual life of the Vietnamese people. Over time, this traditional theater form, which is popular in the villages of the Red River Delta, has gradually spread to the midland and mountainous regions of the North and North Central regions.

Cheo singing is one of the folk art forms with a long history in Vietnam. Known as a stage art form, Cheo singing is often performed at festivals, weddings and other art performances.
Cheo is a type of theater stage that is imbued with national character with a unique combination of singing, dancing, music and drama elements. Cheo singing is a theatrical singing style that can be performed solo, duet or in chorus. The melodies of Cheo singing melodies are very suitable for the natural voice and language of the Vietnamese people. A Cheo play lasts about 2 hours.

When performing Cheo, the actors must demonstrate all the skills of singing, dancing, and acting on the background music played by musicians using many traditional instruments such as drums, wooden fish, flutes, two-stringed instruments, and thirty-six-stringed instruments, creating a pervasive effect of the lyrics. The content of Cheo plays often depicts the simple life of farmers, praising the noble qualities of people, criticizing bad habits, opposing injustice, expressing love, tolerance, and forgiveness. Therefore, when watching Cheo, people not only enjoy relaxing moments filled with laughter, but also have the opportunity to experience and reflect on life. The characters in Cheo are often symbolic and highly literary.

Notably, the Cheo clown, although a supporting role, is so important that there is a folk saying "No Clown no Cheo Art". With its juggling and witty performance, Cheo clowns not only bring laughter to the audience by criticizing the bad habits of feudal society such as kings, mandarins, and those with power and wealth in the village, but also contain and convey other spirits and ideas of the play.

In the past, Cheo was often performed in communal houses, pagodas, and noble families' houses. The Cheo stage was usually just a mat spread in the middle of the yard, with a small curtain hanging behind. The actors performed on the mat, the musicians sat on both sides of the mat, and the audience could stand and watch from all three sides: in front and on both sides of the stage. Today, the art of Cheo has developed to keep up with the times. Cheo plays are staged to be performed on large stages with the support of modern sound and lighting equipment systems. The trend of theatricalization has also led to the formation and development of modern Cheo plays with topical content, carrying the breath of life and the times to be more accessible to the audience.