Hoi An Memories Show
Hoi An, cultural center of Vietnam:
Hoi An is a city in the central-coastal area of Vietnam that is known for its commitment to preserving a rich cultural heritage with a beautifully maintained central Ancient Town. This former port-city is overflowing with unique cultural experiences. Whether it be purchasing custom made clothing from their well-experienced tailors, cooking classes to make authentic Vietnamese cuisine, setting sail on the canals within the Thu Bon River, or a lantern making class where you can release your lanterns into the glowing river at night, there is something for everyone. An amazing and unique way to experience and learn about the cultural epicenter of Vietnam is by booking tickets to see the Hoi An Memories Show!
What’s the show about?
The show is an inspiring and aesthetic retelling of the history of Hoi An featuring some specific historical and cultural events that occurred throughout Vietnam. They split the show into five chapters (or acts) where each performance is meant to recreate important aspects of their history. The stage is a life-size recreation of Hoi An’s Ancient City featuring port ships, the canal, and buildings that would have been around during that time period but can also still be seen in the Ancient City today! The performers are dressed in traditional clothing and some adorned with glowing lights that offset the night sky. Each chapter is accompanied by a traditional soundtrack and is meant to depict important symbols and events within Vietnamese heritage.
The first chapter is titled, “Life – Hoi An’s Memories of the Dawn of Time”. This chapter is meant to represent the beginnings of life and portrays the “Millenial Loom” directing us through the new era and the new road of life. The second chapter is titled, “The Wedding – Memory of Hoi An During the Champa Period”. This chapter is a recreation of the historic wedding between Princess Hueyn Tran, the daughter of the Emperor of the Tran Dynasty and King Che Man, the son of the King of Champa. The wedding is a grand celebration of unity and prosperity within the nation. The third chapter is titled, “Ships and Sea – Hoi An’s Memories of the Transition Period”. This portion of the show portrays an immortalization of the relationship between Hoi An men and Women. The men being far from home, working to protect peace, unity, and prosperity but always able to find their way home due to the unrelenting, glowing, love and warmth of the women. This is shown through the lighting of the lanterns. The fourth chapter is titled, “The Shore – Hoi An’s Memories of Multilateral Cultural Interference”. This chapter is meant to represent the melting pot mosaic that was Hoi An’s port. Traders from all over the world left their mark on Hoi An and everyone shared their culture and values as a prosperous and uplifting way of uniting the city. The fifth and final chapter is titled, “The Ao Dai – The Combination of Ancient ‘Hoi An’s Memories’ with Modern Life”. The final chapter shows how the people and culture of Hoi An has shifted over the years but still maintains its gentle beauty. They are still able to uphold ancient cultural values while stepping into the new age!
Each and every chapter has clearly been carefully curated with each performance and set, and is accompanied by a beautiful soundtrack to tie it all together. It really is an incredible production that takes you through the entertaining and beguiling story of Hoi An’s history!
Booking Tickets
Booking your tickets to see the show is pretty easy actually! The Memories Show has its own website https://hoianmemoriesland.com/en/ where all the ticket options are available. You can likely book on the day of, but just in case, we recommend at least a couple days beforehand in case it’s busy. Ticket options come with a variety of options: the basic tickets can either be VIP, HI or, ECO; more expensive tickets would include the buffet option; there is also an option for a river cruise where you can release a lantern into the river and then be dropped off at Memory Land for the show!
For the seating options, there are some important things you’ll need to know. The cheapest option is the ECO seating (about $30CAD/person). These seats are the closest to the stage which can be amazing since you’d be able to see the performers up close! There is even a portion of the show where the performers walk through the aisles in the ECO section which I’m sure would be very exciting to see that closely. The only issue with these seats is that they will be less comfortable than the other seating options. The seats do not have backing and the show is about an hour long so if you are not okay sitting that long without a back rest, this option may not suit you. Additionally, the seating is much closer together than any of the other seats so it is likely more cramped which equals much less personal space during the show. If neither of these things are an issue for you I would highly recommend booking the ECO seats, especially if you enjoy being close to the action.
The mid-range priced ticket is the HI tickets (about $40CAD/person). These seats are like baseball game bleacher seats and are located in the middle of the seating arrangements. Thankfully these seats do have back rests and are a bit more spaced out for comfortability. These are the seats we booked for the show and we enjoyed having the extra space between us and other guests. These seats will be a little higher up and therefore a bit farther from the stage but you are still able to see the entire show.
The last, and most expensive (about $60CAD/person), option is the VIP tickets. These seats provide you with a much more private show experience. You will have your own individual chair with cushioning and a table with complimentary water. We also saw some tables have a platter of fruit but we’re not entirely sure if that is included in the ticket (very likely is included). These seats are the highest up and therefore are the furthest from the stage. Since they are higher up you won’t have anybody obstructing your view of the performers which is awesome especially when other people have their phones out taking videos!
The way they have the area set up, you would have a great view of the show with any of the seating options. The biggest difference, in our opinion, is the type of seat and spacing between the guests. The last thing to note is that you do not get to choose your seats. There is no seat selection option. Some people online said to get to the venue almost an hour early to get your preferred seats but when we got there, the ushers directed guests in an orderly fashion to the open rows starting from top-to-bottom. So, it really wasn’t necessary to get there an hour early (which we did) because we did not get a say in where we sat at all (other than which seating section). Either way it was an amazing experience and well worth the money. Even if you choose the most expensive seats with the dinner buffet add-on you are only paying about $70CAD/person which helps make the show an absolute must see!
Hoi An Memory Land/Impression Theme Park
Another incredible thing about the Hoi An Memories show tickets is that it grants you access to the Hoi An Impressions Theme Park! This park and the show are located on an island in the middle of Hoi An’s Thu Bon River so the only way to get there is by crossing one of the two bridges or getting one of the boats to float you over. Walking through the park you’ll see recreations of historical architecture, statues, and lights lining the walkways. There are a few things to do throughout the park so it’s best to get there a few hours before the show (we went around 5pm and the show starts at 8pm). Some of the performers from the main show put on mini performances throughout the evening. These mini shows are about 3-10 minutes long and the staff are amazing at directing the crowd around so that you don’t have to miss a thing! Amongst the chaos of trying to get the best spot at the mini shows, you’ll notice a few souvenir shops scattered throughout the park. If you planned on doing some shopping and seeing the show, now you can do it all in the same place!
They also have multiple restaurants on the island so you definitely don’t need to worry about getting dinner beforehand. As I mentioned earlier, some tickets will come with the buffet option. If you’ve opted for this option make sure to get to the buffet to get your fill and also watch some of the mini shows from the comfort of your dinner table! If you don’t fancy the buffet there are a few different restaurant options offering Vietnamese, Chinese, or Japanese cuisine. We chose the Japanese restaurant and the food was excellent! They even have a bar area playing lively music for tourists. If you’re just looking for a snack or a quick drink they also have quite a few market-style carts with options such as steamed buns, desserts, and various friend foods to fill every craving!
Each area within the theme park is meant to portray different parts of Vietnam and Hoi An’s cultural and historical heritage. They have the trading area, the Vietnamese Village, Tam Tang Square, Thien Duc Spiritual area, the Chinese Village, and the Japanese Village. Each area has its own unique architecture and symbolic historical intent. Lastly, they even have a place where you get to paint your own traditional fan! We are incredibly unartistic but the fans that other people were making looked beautiful. Make sure to take your time throughout these areas of the park and take lots of pictures, you’ll definitely want to remember it!
What Else to do in Hoi An!
1. Get Hand Made Tailored Clothes
If you’ve ever done a bit of research you know that Hoi An is the hub in Vietnam for experienced tailors. One of the top recommendations we got from our friends before we left for our trip was to get custom made clothing from a tailor shop while we were in Hoi An! Hoi An became popular for their tailor shops because of the excellent quality of their custom made clothing and its relative inexpensiveness to make. And, they are also crazy fast! When we went to get Spencer’s shirts done, we went around 6:00 pm and they told us to come back at 11:00 am the next day! Honestly it was definitely an experience we recommend trying while you’re here even if you get something small. The clothing quality from the place we went was overall pretty decent and the staff were really great at helping us make changes to the clothing so that it would fit exactly how we wanted. I’m sure there are more expensive shops with even better quality fabrics but we both came away happy with what we got! I would recommend doing this on your first day if you only have a couple days in Hoi An because you may need to get alterations after the first cut which can take an extra day. They also have amazing custom leather shops where you can get purses, wallets, and other leather goods. And lastly they have some custom made shoe shops which would be awesome for people with either really small feet (like myself) or larger feet (like Spencer). Make sure you have extra space in your luggage, you will want to spend all of your money here!
2. Float Down the River at Night
Of course in the lantern city you must take a boat ride through the river at night! The riverside itself in the evening is a beautiful walkway of string lights, lanterns, restaurants, and views of the boats as they pass by. You will also most definitely be asked by a few people if you want to take a boat ride down the river and honestly you should say yes. The boats will take you from the riverside down to the central area of the river where all of the boats, covered in colourful lights, will gather. You may even get the chance to release a paper lantern into the river and watch it sail off into the night (also lots of places around the market to hand-make a hanging lantern). A lovely way to spend the evening, no doubt, and some boat tours even come with one (or more) free drinks and music as you glide down the river. If you’re into a karaoke booze cruise or prefer the gentle ambiance of the river this is definitely the place!
3. Cooking Class/Food Tasting
Hoi An also has some of the best food places in Vietnam (in our opinion). There is so much variety and plenty of delicious places to eat near the river so you can have amazing views with your breakfast, lunch, or dinner. They also offer cooking classes or food tasting tours which can be found with GetYourGuide, or ask your hotel and they will surely know where to go. A great way to experience true culture, especially in Vietnam, is by eating the local cuisine. There is a reason Vietnamese food is so popular around the world and there is nothing better than getting it straight from the source. Guided food tours are a great way to taste a selection of different restaurants in the area as well as getting acquainted with the locally offered foods. Lastly, a guided food tour is an excellent way to get acquainted with Hoi An’s Ancient city!
4. Guided Walking Tour of Ancient City
GetYourGuide also offers guided walking tours throughout the Ancient City area of Hoi An. You can absolutely go explore this area by yourself but sometimes it’s nice to have someone tell you about the specific history of the area. Tour guides are typically quite knowledgeable and passionate about the tours they do. And, you might get some fun secret information that not many other people will know. Ancient City in Hoi An is a preserved UNESCO heritage site where you can immerse yourself in the history of Hoi An’s trading port. You will get to see beautiful architecture where you can really feel the weight and importance of the history preserved within this section of the city. Don’t miss out on this part of the city and definitely take a guided tour if you prefer an expert to take you around!
Hoi An was genuinely one of our favourite cities in Vietnam when it comes to cultural and historical experiences. I know that most people say you can visit this city in just a couple days but we think otherwise. We really think you can spend about 5 days here and still have plenty to do every day! Obviously you might not have that much time and you just have to fit in what you can with the amount of time you have. Our absolute must see is for sure the Hoi An Memories show, there really isn’t another experience like it. If you only have a couple days in Hoi An, these are our top recommendations, but make sure you see and experience as much as you can! There is no other place like Hoi An!
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