The Quintessence of Tonkin attracts visitors to Hanoi

The main stage of the performance is a 4,300sq.m lake at the foot of Thay Mountain. The performance describes the atmosphere in rice fields during the harvest season, fishing activities, mothers singing lullabies to their kids in hammocks on summer nights, candidates with tents and bamboo camp beds going to the capital city to take mandarinal examinations, palanquin processions in village festivals, Holy Mother worshipping activities, and children riding buffaloes on dyke slopes early in the morning. “The Quintessence of Tonkin” also consists of water puppetry performances.

Anastasia Kozyreva, a Russian tourist from Moscow, said, "I really like the performance. It came as a surprise to me that local farmers also take part in the performance. "The Quintessence of Tonkin" tells the audience vivid stories about the cultural and spiritual lives as well as production activities of residents in Vietnam's Northern Delta. The simplicity of farmers makes up the soul of the show."

Mayo Senda, a Japanese visitor from Osaka, applauded the performance from start to finish. She said, "This is the second time I enjoy this performance. It really mesmerizes me. Images of farmers harvesting rice early in the morning, children riding buffaloes and candidates with tents and bamboo camp beds going to the capital city to take examinations, among others, help me better understand the wet rice culture of Vietnam. The participation of farmers makes the performance truthful, simple and close to the audience. I like it."

The hour-long performance with a variety of poetry, song, music and painting features the cultural heritage of the Delta and its core, the age-old capital city of Thang Long-Hanoi.

A special feature of the show is the participation of more than 150 farmers from Quoc Oai District's Sai Son Commune and students from local schools.

“The Quintessence of Tonkin” has been chosen by CNN as a new destination for tourists to Hanoi. In June 2018, the show was honored in Hong Kong (China) as the winner of the Gold Stevie Award for Innovation in Media, Visual Communications and Entertainment.

Trinh Xuan Tung, head of the Hanoi Tourism Department's Travel Division, said, "The show has contributed to diversifying Hanoi's tourism products, helping promote Vietnamese culture and making the capital more attractive to visitors."

Tickets to the show can be bought from tourism and travel companies or the Tuan Chau Hanoi Joint Stock Company - the investor of Baara Land. The organizers arrange buses to pick up the audience from central Hanoi at 49 Hai Ba Trung Street.