Hoai Linh leaves the spotlight, chooses someone to take over the 100 billion Ancestral Temple

At the age of over 50, Meritorious Artist Hoai Linh - who used to be one of the leading names in the Vietnamese comedy scene, has now chosen for himself a simpler, quieter life without the spotlight.

Away from the stage lights, busy shows and tight schedules, Hoai Linh spends a lot of time with his family, especially his elderly mother, and finds joy in his fruit garden, instead of jostling with the noisy activities of showbiz.

Currently, Hoai Linh spends most of his time at his house in Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City, where he lives with his mother, Le Phuong. Hoai Linh's mother is 87 years old this year, and her health is not as good as before, so she has limited her travel. In the past, she often traveled between the US and Vietnam, but in recent years she just wants to stay in her homeland, living peacefully with her son.

She prefers the hustle and bustle of the city to the Ancestral Temple in Long Phuoc, Thu Duc. For her, this place is near the market, crowded, with people passing by every day, chatting animatedly. That is the atmosphere that makes her feel like she is still living in the middle of everyday life, not lonely.

Hoai Linh said he usually wakes up at 7am. After sunbathing for a while to absorb energy, he feeds the birds, then leisurely walks in the garden. If he has no work, he spends the day taking care of plants, watching the leaves change with the seasons.

Contrary to what many people think, he alone takes care of the 7,000m2 Ancestral Temple, Hoai Linh said that there is a team working there regularly. Occasionally, he comes back to visit, cut grass, prune branches, and water plants, just to satisfy the joy of manual labor.

In addition, he occasionally went to Dong Nai to stay for a few days at the garden house. Here, he planted a large durian garden. Many junior artists who visited were delighted, and Hoai Linh did not hesitate to pick fruit for everyone to take home.

There was a time when Hoai Linh was the highest paid artist in Vietnam. He appeared so frequently on television that sometimes the audience reacted because he was "overloaded". The male artist did not deny it, because that was the period when he was trying to earn money to fulfill his greatest wish in life - to build a Temple of Ancestors for artists.

After his wish came true, Hoai Linh gradually withdrew behind the scenes and appeared less often. Many audiences wondered how he would manage his life when he was no longer active in the arts.

Hoai Linh is frank, besides art, he almost doesn't know how to do anything else. He is not good at business or investment, he even tried and failed.

In 2009, he founded Dai Co Viet Company to train actors and organize programs. A year later, he and a friend opened a noodle shop. However, both projects did not bring long-term results. "I have no business sense, and I will never succeed," he concluded.

He also jokingly told the story of buying a piece of land in Nha Be for more than 2 billion VND, intending to keep it for 10 years to make a profit. However, after only 6 years, the value of the land dropped to 1.7 billion VND due to infrastructure factors. "If you buy land like that, what business can you do?", he said with a laugh, considering it a happy memory.

When asked how he would live if one day there were no more invitations from showbiz, Hoai Linh replied: "It won't affect me much, because my family and I are both stable. My mother lives with me, and my sisters take care of each other."

He eats very simply, just two meals a day with some vegetables, meat, or simply fish sauce and dried fish like he has for many years. "To be honest, I don't need much food and savings anymore. I have taken care of my family, and my greatest wish in life - the Ancestral Temple - has also been fulfilled. Now I feel at ease, I don't have to think too much," he shared.

The Ancestral Temple – a project closely associated with Hoai Linh’s career and aspirations – is still in operation. However, the artist said that his family will not be involved in its operation in the future. He is training the younger generation to continue, look after, and preserve this spiritual project.

For Hoai Linh, the important thing is no longer glory or fame, but leaving a legacy for the next generation, for colleagues, for the artist community. He said: "I just hope that you, the children, will continue to keep the fire burning, so that this place will always be a place for us artists to return to."

Hoai Linh sadly mentioned "Vietnamese film tycoon" Phuoc Sang, the audience was moved. Thanh Yên16:34:36 27/08/2025Phuoc Sang unexpectedly appeared with Hoai Linh in a new film project. Although the Vietnamese film tycoon's current health is quite weak, the male artist still receives special attention and care from a large audience and colleagues.