Entertainment
The controversial replacement program, 'Tao Quan', suddenly becomes popular again

The controversial replacement program, 'Tao Quan', suddenly becomes popular again

Feb 18, 2026

Seoul [South Korea], February 18: Although replaced by 'Year-End Gathering - Spring Square', the 'Tao Quan' program is still remembered by many viewers as a beautiful memory of New Year's Eve.
The New Year's Eve comedy show "Meeting at the End of the Year - Spring Square," broadcast on New Year's Eve, attracted much attention from viewers. Alongside comments supporting the station's innovation, the program also faced some mixed opinions regarding its content. At the same time, netizens mentioned "Tao Quan" (Kitchen Gods ), a program that has become a familiar "treat" for many generations every time Tet (Lunar New Year) comes around.
One of the reasons why Tao Quân (the Kitchen Gods) is so popular is because it has long been associated with New Year's Eve. Borrowing the story of Ông Tao and Ba Tao (the Kitchen Gods) ascending to heaven to report on earthly affairs, the program brings much laughter through humorous situations and witty parodies. Not to mention, it also addresses pressing social issues, making many viewers curious each year about "who and what issues will appear in Tao Quân ?" whenever the program is in preparation.
However, the reality is that recent years ' Tao Quân (Kitchen Gods) shows haven't been entirely convincing to viewers in terms of content. Therefore, the television station's decision to create a new program, which many people expect to be an upgraded version, is highly anticipated.
However, when "Meeting at the End of the Year - Spring Square" aired, many netizens felt nostalgic, reminiscing about their memories of the "Tao Quan" show or the artists who made this "brand" on New Year's Eve: People's Artist Tu Long, People's Artist Xuan Bac, Meritorious Artist Chi Trung, People's Artist Quoc Khanh, artist Van Dung, artist Quang Thang... For many, " Tao Quan" is not just a program, but also evokes the feeling of gathering with family and reflecting on the past year.
One commenter wrote: "What I miss isn't just the old Tao Quân ( Vietnamese New Year's Eve comedy show), but the feeling of the whole family sitting together in front of the TV on New Year's Eve, laughing together and feeling the old year lighten a little. The old cast might not all be present this year, but the memories remain intact." Another commented: "I miss the old Tao Quân so much, the time when Uncle Cong Lý played Bắc Đẩu, Uncle Xuân Bắc played Nam Tao, Uncle Quang Thắng played the Economic God. Now it's just a memory."
Some viewers even compared the replacement program to previous years ' Tao Quân (Vietnamese New Year's Eve comedy show). One user commented, "I watch old Tao Quân videos at high volume to liven things up." Another viewer suggested, "It would be nice to re-broadcast Tao Quân from previous years." Netizens shared, "I'm not interested in watching it this year, perhaps partly because it's not the real Tao Quân . " "I watch the old Tao Quân version so many times I know it by heart, and I still find it great," one social media user shared.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper