Hoi An Memories Show – 2024 Experience

The Hoi An Memories Show is probably the most advertised experience in Hoi An. This stage play covers the history of the town and its people over the centuries, with over 500 actors and dancers bringing centuries of Hoianese history to life. With the entire venue built for this specific show, I promise you you have never seen anything like it before.

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Hoi An Memories Theme Park

The entire Hoi An Memories Land was built based on the show it hosts. If you expect an amusement park with carousels and rides you will be disappointed. It feels more like an outdoor mall, with many souvenir shops scattered around the different areas of the park showcasing different times in the history of Hoi An. It is used as a really big photo-op, as well as the backdrop for many small shows before the main event.

I don’t think you need more than half an hour in the park itself, but it is worth coming early to see the mini-shows. My favourite was the love story of the Moon and Wind.

You can also find many food stalls, cafes and restaurants throughout the park, with Nón Lá restaurant being the main one in the park that is included in some tours and tickets. There is however only one drinks stand from which you are allowed to take the drinks inside the show venue.

Hoi An Memories Show

Now the star of the Hoi An Memories Land is the Hoi An Memories Show and I would’ve been very disappointed if that hadn’t been the case. It starts an hour after the last mini show, at 8 PM. With over 500 actors and dancers and a specifically built outdoor stage that is divided into different areas it is a magnificent spectacle to see.

Seating Zones

There are three different zones for seating, which are arranged in a half-moon shape and descend from the entrance building down towards the stage area. The front and centre of this half circle, slightly elevated from the ground is the High section, raised a whole story above that in the middle is the VIP section. The sides and low middle are all the ECO sections with the cheaper tickets.

I sat in the right ECO section in one of the rows closest to the High section, right in the first elevated row and still had a great view.

picture credit: klook*

Hoi An Memories Show – The story

The Hoi An Memories show celebrates Hoi An and its people throughout the centuries, with a young woman weaving the loom of time to connect them. The show begins with the click-clack of the loom in a dark and silent colosseum. This rhythmic noise is carried throughout the show as a constant reminder that time never stops, whatever the current situation is, time conquers all.

Within five acts the artists convey the many influences of different cultures on the town and the changes that came with them. It is also a homage to the resilience of Hoianese people and their ability to adapt to these changes.

Act 1 – New Life

Life – where everything begins, is also the first story the loom bringing us back to. This was a primitive period of Hoi An’s peaceful land and the very first people. They started the community life with agriculture, fishery, weaving; and together they built up the Hoi An Ancient Town from every first roads and bamboo houses.

Act 2 – Wedding

To strengthen the peaceful relationship between Đại Việt (The Great Viet) and neighboring country – Champa kingdom, the historical wedding of Princess Huyền Trân and King Jaya Sinhavarman IlI was held. A Vietnamese woman with her patriotism, sacrificing her own happiness for the people of her country.

Act 3 – Lantern & Sea

To conquer the ocean, Vietnamese people with their vigor and brave, always being willing to sacrifice their lives for the prosperity future of the Viet land. Those men kept moving forwards whether any enormous adversity on their ways, because of the faithful love of their wives in home town land. The Hoi An’s women who kept the cozy lights shining every night to illuminate the way back for their husbands.

Act 4 – Harbor of Happiness

Hoi An is not just a home town of courageous men and faithful women. With its sea gate as large as the locals’ hearts, this ancient town had become a bustling trading port where converging variety nationals of Japan, China, Portugal, Spain, Netherlands… Those merchants brought to this land not only their national goods but also the values cultures to form a Golden Faifo.

Act 5 – Ao Dai

The loom of memories has brought us through 400 years to represent the beautiful history of Hoi An heritage land. To continue the story of Hoi An, let’s be inspired by the “Ao Dai” in the melody of joyfulness and happiness.

Where to get your Hoi An Memories Show Ticket:

In person you can buy your ticket at these two entrance points:

1. The main ticket office at 200 Nguyen Tri Phuong (turn left after crossing the bridge), Cam Nam Ward, Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province
2. In front of Cầu Trăng Thương Cảng / Moon Bridge, from Huyền Trân Công Chúa street

Of course there is always a risk included with just walking up to the ticket booth the day of and buying a ticket: Namely that there might not be a seat left.

You can pre-book a Ticket online* so you don’t have to stand in line and reduce the risk of not getting in. On Tripadvisor you can choose between only a Show Ticket, Show & Theme Park Ticket or even a full tour with dinner and pickup included.

Is the Hoi An Memory Show worth it?

Yes. I have been to several live performed shows during my travels that cover the history of a places history and people, like the Hamburg Dungeon, a performance-showing by a city guard of the Porta Nigra of Trier, both in Germany, the London Bridge Experience in England and a Gong Show in Dalat, but none of them came close to the production quality and breathtaking beauty of the Hoi An Memories Show.

When I say it is a spectacle, I mean it. You can feast your eyes on the costumes, the dancing, the props, the light art and the choreography. You don’t have to understand the words being sung to understand the stories and feel the emotions they bring to the stage.

It is more expensive than most tickets in Vietnam, but in my opinion, it is worth every penny. It took me three visits to this beautiful town before I went to see it and my only regret is that I didn’t go sooner.