The show presents an overview of the history and culture of Hoi An from the founding time of the hamlet to the busy trading port period.
“Memories of Hoi An” is a real-life art show with the natural river background of the island in the middle of the Thu Bon River, with a world-class outdoor sound and light system. The exhibition gathers more than 500 actors on an outdoor stage of 25,000 m2, a 3,300-capacity stand at Con Hen, Cam An ward, Hoi An city.
The 60-minute performance opens up an overview of the history and culture of Hoi An from the time of the reclamation of the hamlet to the busy commercial port era. All are divided into five screens. The show begins with the image of a girl on the loom, acting as a storyteller for 5 parts, taking the audience through the centuries of Hoi An.
One hundred girls are wearing ao dai and walking on a light path – symbolizing the timeline of Hoi An. The color of the ao dai is constantly changing like a stream of memories flowing through historical periods, rhythmically following the loom.
Act one, called “Life,” describes the first inhabitants of Hoi An giving birth to children, catching fish and shrimp, and sawing wood to build a house on this land. On the stage, the images of planting rice, sifting sand, sawing wood, building homes, and pulling fish are reproduced quite realistically by professional actors.
The second act, titled “Wedding,” recreates the legendary wedding of Princess Huyen Tran.
Hundreds of soldiers appeared next to the torches, wearing armor to prepare for the wedding ceremony with wedding dances and typical images reminiscent of Champa culture.
The scene depicted a wife waiting for her husband in the third act – “Lights and the sea.” The audience can think of Hoi An in the 16th-17th centuries. A busy trading port, international trade began to develop. This is also the time when people set sail.
The main content of the play is the love story of a Faifo girl waiting for her lover, who is a merchant ship sailor far from home. The faithful daughter worries about her lover when the weather is stormy, tired of waiting. At the end of the play, the young man returns to his lover’s stone statue, still holding a lantern in her hand.
The fourth act, “Integration,” is the story of Hoi An in the golden age on the dock under the boat – a symbol of the early international integration of this land.
Through many forms of storytelling with music and light, dances, and circus, the show depicts the formation and development of Faifo. Viewers can enjoy successive stories of humanity, romance, and temperament of the people of Quang Nam.
At the end of the show is the fifth performance named “Ao Dai,” showing an ancient Hoi An in the modern rhythm of life. Girls in Ao Dai ride bicycles and perform dances next to the restored images of buildings across the river, such as old houses and the Cau Pagoda.
At the end of the show, there are pictures of houses built up in layers to represent Hoi An’s continuous development.
“Hoi An Memories” takes place every day of the week (except Tuesday), from 8 pm to 9 pm. In addition, there are mini-shows from 16:30. Depending on the seating position and booking form, ticket prices range from 480,000 VND to 1,200,000 VND.
Book the show here: Hoi An Memories
