On a recent late afternoon, Cang (born 1996, My Thien commune, Dong Thap) applied pink makeup to both eyes, dyed his eyebrows yellow, then put on a mask and donned the costume of the Monkey King.

He was preparing for the show where he plays Sun Wukong, performing lively and captivating magic tricks before a large hometown audience.

Cang has loved the character of Sun Wukong since childhood, always dreaming of embodying and portraying this figure. However, due to a challenging family situation, at 15 Cang had to leave his hometown for HCMC to make a living.

Cang worked at hospital canteens while attending short-term training courses at HCMC University of Theater and Cinema and the University of Military Culture and Arts.

With knowledge and acting skills, Cang began performing on stage, landing roles in short films and TV series. By day, he worked; by night, he performed to earn a living.

Once, Cang chanced upon an artist brilliantly portraying Sun Wukong. The performance reignited his childhood passion. He decided to learn and practice, adding his own creative touches to develop a unique performance style.

Trung Cang is praised for being approachable, vivid, and dynamic, much like the Sun Wukong portrayed by actor Liu Xiao Ling Tong in the TV series Journey to the West.

Trung Cang explained he chose to embody Sun Wukong because this character is familiar to children and part of most people’s childhood.

Later, when performing for kids, to showcase Sun Wukong’s 72 magical transformations, he learned magic tricks from a circus artist. These performances delighted children, and he earned more love from audiences.

After his father passed away, Cang left HCMC for the hometown to care for his mother. There, he brought the image of Sun Wukong to local events and celebrations. He played the role so often that many nicknamed him “Cang Sun Wukong.” 

Whether on grand stages in HCMC or at modest local gatherings, each time he lives his passion, Trung Cang feels excited and fulfilled. After every performance, he gains funds to support his charitable efforts.

‘Selling smiles’ for charity

After being back in his hometown, memories of his tough childhood flooded back. He recalled receiving gifts and scholarships from benefactors during his school years.

Thus, in 2018, when he could partly support himself, he decided to use a part of his performance earnings to buy gifts for poor students, elderly people, and struggling households in his community.

In 2021, during the COVID-19 outbreak, Trung Cang established the “Zero VND Rice Shop” in My Thi A hamlet, My Trung commune, Cai Be district (formerly Tien Giang, now My Thien, Dong Thap).

The shop was merely wooden pillars supporting a tarp roof. There, Cang distributed rice and essentials to the poor, homeless elderly, and single-parent households.

During the peak of the pandemic, at his humble shop, he gave out 5kg of rice daily to each person in need.

Later, seeing the value of his work, some benefactors joined in. The Zero VND Rice Shop now operates regularly on the 15th day of the lunar month and during holidays, providing free rice and essentials to those in need.

Since 2021, Trung Cang has distributed over 9 tons of rice and more than 500 gift packages to those in need. In recent years, his charitable efforts have focused on supporting children.

He organizes events like Peaceful Christmas Night, Mid-Autumn Festival for Kids, and Children’s Tet Celebration to bring joy and gifts to children.

Cang confides: “Now, whether performing for charity or paid gigs, whenever I become Sun Wukong, kids love it and come to hug me warmly. Many older folks also enjoy shaking hands and chatting. They say my Sun Wukong performances remind them of their childhood memories.

“Thanks to this, I have more funds to sustain my charitable activities. Last year, the Zero VND Rice Shop was supported by the Tien Giang Province Youth Union Committee, collaborating with local communes. This has helped my model spread further in the community.”

Ha Nguyen