The Quintessence of Tonkin invites you to go through the gate of our ancient Vietnamese village and tells you the story of thousand years of literature in one hour. The Show The Show draws inspiration from the spiritual history of the nearby Thay Pagoda telling the story of the pagoda's founding by venerable monk Tu Dao Hanh, and explains the ancient union between religion and the monarchy. Years in the making and with hundreds of performers, an interactive stage, state-of-the-art technology, and a stunning setting, this live spectacle is an unmissable highlight of any trip to Hanoi

The Story You will experience six aspects of the cultural Quintessence of Tonkin: Poetry, Buddhism, Nostalgia, Music & Painting, Joy & Festivities. Not only opening up the cultural space of the northern delta with people's daily life activities, the play also shows the audience the best of the water puppetry art with the story of the venerable monk Tu Dao Hanh and the history of the ancient Thang Long royal palace.

The Performers There are two groups of performers in this show: local families of farmers, bringing their experience and showcasing their lives to the audiences, and a young team of talented Students from the Hanoi College of Dance, bringing youth and energy to the stage. The Theater The theater itself is an engineering masterpiece. The natural lake was transformed into a stage, including a state-of-the-art hydrothermal system that raises the 15-ton Thuy Dinh pagoda from under the water in just under a minute. As the Thay Mountain composes the background of the scenery, we also had to develop a unique illumination system to light up the hills, 1.5km away, using 40 lamps of 1500 watts! The Costumes The costumes are made of traditional patterns and raw materials — silk and cotton. They are all made onsite, and in order to faithfully illustrate our history and culture, were produced under the supervision of a historian and multiple artisans.