The project “115 Years of Storytelling – Heritage Given Voice through Light and Technology” is a special artistic initiative marking the 115th anniversary of the inauguration of the Hanoi Opera House, a historic architectural landmark and cultural symbol of the capital.
Staged as the Opera House prepares to enter a restoration phase, the project serves as an emotional tribute. Beyond an art event, it connects history with art and technology, transforming the Opera House from a monument to admire into a vibrant space to experience.
The program employs advanced performance technologies, including 3D mapping, holograms, augmented reality (AR), and multi-layered storytelling, creating an immersive experience that dissolves the boundary between audience and performance space.
Viewers do not merely observe; they enter the narrative flow, interact with light and space, and experience history through the language of the digital age. The project marks a significant step in applying technology to heritage preservation and promotion, reinforcing Hanoi’s standing as a UNESCO-recognized Creative City, where classical values are revived through contemporary art.
The program unfolds in four chapters, tracing the Opera House’s 115-year journey across past, present, and future.
Chapter 1 – “Opening Night 1911” invites audiences to use AR tickets to “step through time,” returning to the moment of the Opera House’s inauguration more than a century ago. The main lobby is enveloped in 3D mapping that recreates the building’s construction, with every brick and dome standing as a witness to early 20th-century Hanoi’s creative spirit.
Chapter 2 – “Hanoi within the Opera House” transforms the architecture into a “time window” through 360-degree mapping, revealing layers of memory, from the colonial era and wartime years to the August Revolution of 1945. Exhibits and light projections honor original architectural details, allowing audiences to sense the heritage’s “soul.”
Chapter 3 – “115 Years of Hanoi’s Stage” pays tribute to the arts and generations of artists associated with the Opera House. Opera, spoken drama, cai luong, and musical performances are reimagined through light technology, reviving historic stage moments. Notably, the image of August 19, 1945, at August Revolution Square is recreated as a symbol of the fusion between art and history.
Chapter 4 – “The Artistic Heart” concludes with a symphony of light and architecture, as 3D mapping transforms the Opera House across styles, from classical to futuristic, symbolizing Hanoi’s enduring creative spirit. The main auditorium glows as light, sound, and architecture come together to tell a new story.
The project “115 Years of Storytelling – Heritage Given Voice through Light and Technology” runs from November 22 to December 31. At the heart of the capital, a century-old heritage site speaks anew through light, telling the story of art, people, and the creative city of Hanoi.
Lan Anh