(VOVWORLD) - The Hanoi Opera House is inviting audiences to experience its 115-year history through immersive light projection, holography, sound and augmented reality. The display extends through the lobby to the staircases, corridors, and dooms creating a layered and engaging atmosphere. Every frame of light and musical note is recalling visitors with memories of the capital city.
 The project "115 Years of Hanoi Opera House Telling Stories– Heritage Illuminated through Light and Technology" is a pioneering model in digital storytelling about heritages. (Photo: Organizing Board) |
The project "115 Years of Hanoi Opera House Telling Stories– Heritage Illuminated through Light and Technology" is a pioneering model in digital storytelling about heritages, proving that preservation is not only about safeguarding the past, but also about reviving and spreading its value through digital creativity.
At the Hanoi Opera House, audiences won’t be seated in the traditional red-velvet chairs. Instead, they step into the exhibition and become part of the stories it tells.
Ngo Xuan Minh, Director of Hexogon Vietnam, the collaborator with the Hanoi Opera House in this project, said: “The Hanoi Opera House is a cradle of arts of Hanoi and Vietnam as whole. When I heard that the Opera House would close for two years, I immediately developed this concept and invited experts from the north and the south to participate. Our team wants concertgoers, theatre lovers, art enthusiasts, and even those who have never set foot in the Opera House to gain a deeper understanding of the history of this iconic building.”
 A meticulously crafted model of the Hanoi Opera House is displayed in the main lobby of the Opera House. (Photo: Organizing Board) |
The project applies cutting-edge technologies such as 3D mapping projection, holograms, augmented reality (AR), multilayered storytelling, motion graphics, and multidirectional sound to introduce the Opera House’s 115 years of operation and its milestones alongside the history of Hanoi.
Chu Anh Hung, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Opera House, said: “For this project, we have installed more than 30 modern projectors. We have collaborated with a French visual production team. This will be an exceptionally unique experience, something that has never been seen in any theatre in Vietnam. The 3D mapping, audio and lighting effects promise many surprises for the audience.”
 A highlight of the exhibition is the multi-layered mapping space and 360-degree visuals projected inside the main auditorium of the Hanoi Opera House. (Photo: Organizing Board) |
The project has four chapters telling the 115-year journey of the Hanoi Opera House, connecting the past, the present and the future.
Chapter 1 features the Opening Night 1911 during which visitors use AR tickets to travel back time to the inauguration of the Opera House more than a century ago.
In Chapter 2 with the theme "Hanoi within the Opera House” and the 3D mapping technology, the entire building is transformed into a “time window”, bringing visitors back to Hanoi’s historical periods, from the colonial era, the wartime to the August Revolution in 1945.
In Chapter 3 about 115 years of the Hanoi Opera House, opera, stage drama, reformed opera and musicals are recreated through light technology, bringing the audience into ancient stages.
The last chapter called “The Artistic Heart” wraps up the journey with a symphony of light and images, as the 3D mapping technology transforms the Opera House from classical to futuristic styles, symbolizing its unceasing spirit of creativity of Hanoi.
 The event attracts crowds of visitors. (Photo: Organizing Board) |
Creative director Le Ngoc Quy, who has participated in the Moscow Light Festival in Russia and artistic projects at the Louvre Museum in France, said: “To recreate 115 year-history of the Hanoi Opera House in an experiential journey, we need extensive historical materials and many untold stories about the Opera House. We decided to build four content pillars of architectural heritage, historical imprints, artistic narratives, and the heart of Hanoi, so that after 90 minutes, visitors can deeply feel the Opera House’s significance throughout history.”
With this project, visitors to the Opera House will not simply watch, but immerse themselves in a dazzling, multi-sensory artistic world, discovering the history and artistic legacy of the capital through the digital language.
 The Opera House prepares to close for restoration in 2026. (photo: Organizing Board)
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Some Gen Z visitors say they are excited about the experience.
“Throughout the journey, visitors travel from this space to another, from this period to the next, each has its unique story. The most special moment is when the curtain is unfold, revealing the entire auditorium in one sweeping visual. It was an incredible experience.”
“The combination of visuals, sound, and lighting awakes all senses, giving visitors the most explosive emotional experience inside the Opera House. It’s a wonderful evolution of technology and art.”
Blending light, sound, and interactive technology, the exhibition "115 Years of Opera House Telling Stories– Heritage Illuminated through Light and Technology" runs from now until the end of December, offering a fresh way to experience one of Hanoi’s cultural landmarks. As the Opera House prepares to close for restoration in 2026, this showcase provides the public with a final chance to step inside and explore its century-long history from a new perspective.