On the evening of August 6, 2023, the Saigon port, packed with spectators, lit up with the river's first-ever "narrative." Everyone shared a sense of pride, listening intently to the story of a long and rich history, vividly and authentically recreated.
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“The River Tells Stories”: An art festival on Ho Chi Minh City’s iconic river – Newday Media
“"THE RIVER TELLS STORIES" - OVER 300 YEARS OF HISTORY OF SAIGON - GIA DINH - HO CHI MINH CITY
The more than 300-year history of Gia Dinh – Saigon – Ho Chi Minh City is shaped by the rivers and canals that embrace and are closely connected to the flow of the Saigon River. This river has helped transform the area from a swampy, mangrove-filled region into the most bustling international trading port in the area.
Paying tribute to the river and bringing the current generation back to their roots, to remember and be proud of the glorious historical values, the art program "The River Tells Stories" took the audience on a journey through space and time, recounting each stage of development of Gia Dinh - Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City through five chapters: Land Reclamation, City Construction, On the Wharf, Flourishing Trading Port, and The Brilliant City by the River.
The program opens with a story about the geological history of the Southern region of Vietnam, approached from a modern and unique perspective. Overcoming the immense spatial obstacles, mapping projection technology using 10 high-powered projectors is employed, providing a vivid experience of the region's history of "sea transgression and regression.".
Inspired by the story of the pioneering of the southern lands and the spirit of unity among the ethnic groups, “"Land reclamation"” The performance recreates the vibrant atmosphere of building a new life. The message of fertility is conveyed through meaningful formations and folk-inspired dance, with rice as the central theme. Rice, the staple food, is a symbol of vitality and the cyclical nature of time in each changing season.
With its majestic and powerful tone, “"Building a city"” The film takes viewers back in time to where 30,000 laborers enthusiastically and diligently worked together to build the strongest fortress of its time – Gia Dinh Citadel. Primarily constructed from Biên Hòa laterite stone, the citadel was highly defensive, helping the Nguyễn Dynasty maintain security in the Gia Dinh region for a long period. Mapping projection techniques once again recreate the image of this legendary citadel in a realistic and vivid way.
The familiar folk song of the Southern region opens the scene for Chapter 3. “"On the docks, under the boats"” The bustling port is filled with the lively activity of large and small boats and barges coming and going, carrying goods and products from all regions to trade and gather here, forming a vibrant riverside market. Viewers will rediscover familiar images of famous traditional craft villages in the old Saigon-Gia Dinh region: the fish sauce village, the blacksmith village, the mat weaving village, the boat building village, and even the exquisite and renowned Cay Mai pottery products of yesteryear…
It begins with the resounding sound of a train whistle., “"A thriving trading port"” The film transports viewers back to a bustling commercial port, one of the leading ports in Indochina at the time. Viewers will be impressed by the sight of two giant ships docking, bringing merchants and travelers to exchange goods and trade with the local people.
Following this, iconic landmarks associated with the glorious history of this 300-year-old land truly became the highlight of the performance. The proud milestone of April 30, 1975, with the liberation flag flying atop the Independence Palace, ushered in a new era of peace and unity for the Vietnamese nation.
“"A vibrant city by the river"” Chapter 5 portrayed Ho Chi Minh City as an innovative, creative, integrated city always brimming with love. Chapter 5 featured vibrant, modern, and energetic melodies, celebrating a youthful city shining brightly. A special highlight was the Flyboard performance on the river, guiding a system of 400 drones to take off and form modern symbols of the city.
OVERCOMING CHALLENGES – “THE RIVER TELLS A STORY” ABOUT UNITY
General Director Le Hai Yen said: “First, there was the issue of time. We were extremely confused and overwhelmed at times because the production time was so tight, only one month with a huge amount of work and a massive cast of over 700 actors. In those 15 days, we worked continuously at a high intensity, with almost no time to sit down and rest. It was all about production, rehearsals, problem-solving, adjustments…”
Secondly, there was the weather factor. We had a very difficult time during rehearsals because it was the rainy season in Ho Chi Minh City. It rained continuously, and the actors and crew were exposed to the rain, getting wet and cold every day, but no one was allowed to get sick.
Thirdly, there's the factor of the Saigon River's tides. Even the best waterway experts would face numerous challenges in navigating these notoriously unpredictable waters. We had to spend a long time setting up, about ten days before the event. And during those ten days, the tides were never stable, rising and falling twice a day, with an excessive amount of water hyacinth floating around, and on some days, the current was so strong that we couldn't even practice.
There were days when the water fountain system broke down right during rehearsals, making it impossible to perform the act. Sometimes we couldn't practice flyboarding because there was too much water hyacinth. Every day we had to adjust the stage because it was off-center due to the strong current, even though the barge used as a stage had anchors weighing tens of tons, it still wasn't stable enough; the rotation and movement were very high. Then there was the pressure of intense rehearsals day and night, rehearsing in the rain…it was very difficult, and many people couldn't handle it.
Not to mention, the 30 tourist boats mobilized for the performances and parades had different schedules, making it very difficult to gather and coordinate them; the people rowing the boats on the river also couldn't practice for too long… Difficulties piled up, putting a lot of pressure on us. To be honest, to have such a complete performance as we saw it was a miracle.”.
This remarkable achievement was made possible thanks to the unity and unwavering determination of the City, the Department of Tourism, and the dedicated efforts of nearly 1,000 participants in the program. They all shared a common desire to create a meaningful and valuable cultural and tourism product for Ho Chi Minh City.
PROUD OF OUR IDENTITY – MILLIONS OF HEARTS LISTEN TO “THE RIVER TELLS ITS STORY”
Over 6,000 seats were filled, yet it still couldn't meet the demand and desire of the people of Saigon to watch the show. "They"—those born, raised, or working and living in Saigon, those passionate souls who love culture—saw themselves and their ancestors reflected in every moment of the program. It was through this experience that they came to understand and appreciate even more the quintessential values of history and culture passed down through generations.
The applause, the words of thanks, and above all, the tears were meaningful expressions of gratitude from millions of viewers, both live and on television, for the selfless dedication of the 700 actors and crew members of the program.
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