The project “115 Years of the Opera House Telling Its Story – Heritage Speaking through Light and Technology” is a special artistic initiative marking the 115th anniversary of the inauguration of the Hanoi Opera House, an architectural landmark imbued with historical significance and a cultural symbol of the Capital.
The project is held at a meaningful moment, as the Opera House prepares to enter a new phase of restoration, serving as an emotionally resonant tribute. More than an artistic event, it represents an effort to connect history with art and technology, transforming the Opera House from a heritage site to be admired into a living space to be experienced.
The program employs advanced performance technologies such as 3D mapping, holograms, augmented reality (AR), and multi-layered storytelling art, offering audiences an immersive experience in which the boundaries between spectators and performance space are dissolved.
Viewers are not merely observers but become part of the narrative flow, interacting with space and light and perceiving history through the language of the digital age. This marks an important step in applying technology to the preservation and promotion of heritage, contributing to the affirmation of Hanoi’s position as a UNESCO-recognized Creative City, where classical values are revitalized through contemporary art.
The program is structured into four chapters, recounting the 115-year journey of the Hanoi Opera House and linking the past, present, and future.
Chapter 1 – “Opening Night 1911” invites audiences to use AR tickets to “step through the door of time,” returning to the moment of the Opera House’s inauguration more than a century ago. The main foyer is enveloped in 3D mapping visuals that recreate the construction process, where every brick and dome stands as a witness to Hanoi’s creative spirit in the early 20th century.
Chapter 2 – “Hanoi within the Opera House” transforms the entire architecture into a “time window” through 360-degree mapping technology, unveiling layers of Hanoi’s memories, from the colonial period and years of war to the historic moment of the August Revolution in 1945. Exhibition elements, displays, and light projections are combined to honor original architectural details, allowing audiences to sense the “soul” of the heritage site.
Chapter 3 – “115 Years of the Hanoi Stage” serves as a tribute to the arts and generations of artists associated with the Opera House. Opera, spoken drama, cai luong, and music and dance performances are recreated through lighting technology, enabling audiences to relive the atmosphere of past stages. Notably, the image of August 19, 1945, at August Revolution Square is reenacted as a symbol of the convergence of art and history.
Chapter 4 – “The Heart of Art” concludes with a symphony of light and architecture, as 3D mapping technology transforms the Opera House through various styles, from classical to futuristic, symbolizing Hanoi’s enduring creative spirit. Audiences will behold the main auditorium illuminated brilliantly, where light, sound, and architecture come together to tell a new story.
The project “115 Years of the Opera House Telling Its Story – Heritage Speaking through Light and Technology” takes place from November 22 to December 31. At the heart of the Capital, a heritage site more than a century old will “speak” through the language of light, narrating the story of art, people, and the creative city named Hanoi.
Lan Anh