In the context of cultural products increasingly contributing to shaping the image of destinations, large-scale art programs have become a strategic communication tool.
“The Legendary Train” – the opening program of the 2025 River Festival in Ho Chi Minh City – is a prime example of a project where historical events are retold using modern theatrical language, combining art, technology, and emotionally rich storytelling.
Produced by Newday Media, the program opens up a new way of telling history, where the audience accompanies the nation throughout its development journey.
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The brief and requirements for Newday Media
The project was implemented under the direction of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, with the coordination of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism and the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports. Newday Media was responsible for producing and staging the entire program.
In the context of the city's focus on developing distinctive cultural products to enhance tourism and urban image, while maintaining cultural and historical depth closely linked to the river, there is a need to create a large-scale art program capable of retelling historical stories in a new and more engaging way for contemporary audiences.
The challenge for Newday Media was to create a work that possessed artistic value, reflected historical depth, and was unique enough to become a representative cultural product associated with the city's image.
Deployment solution
Newday Media chose an approach with an iconic musical titled "The Legendary Train," where the historical journey is transformed into a richly cinematic artistic experience.
The image of the train becomes the central theme, guiding the audience through different periods of time. Instead of a chronological narrative, the program is structured into five chapters as a seamless emotional journey, each stop representing a space of memory with its own distinct staging language:
- Chapter 1 – Launching: Recreating the first boats from the Nguyen Dynasty.
- Chapter 2 – Arrival: The film depicts the 1925 Ba Son strike led by Comrade Ton Duc Thang, escalating the conflict and the fighting spirit of the workers.
- Chapter 3 – Setting Sail: Inspired by the journey of young Nguyen Tat Thanh in his quest to save the nation, the story is poignant and connects personal narratives with the destiny of the nation.
- Chapter 4 – Turmoil: Recreating the battles of special forces soldiers in the Sac Forest with a fast pace, rich in action, and visually stunning with the ship explosion on the river.
- Chapter 5 – Reaching Further: It concludes with a portrayal of modern Vietnam, reflecting its aspiration for global integration and development.
Besides its content structure, the program makes an impression through its synchronized implementation:
- The stage features multiple moving levels, constantly changing with each segment.
- The performance language reflects cinematic thinking, enhancing the depth of the storytelling.
- Combining musical theater, contemporary dance, and performance technology in one seamless experience.
- Smooth scene transitions, maintaining a consistent emotional flow throughout.
The core insight lies in how people connect with history through emotions and experiences. From this, the program recreates a vivid journey, making the story relatable, easy to understand, and deeply memorable for the audience.
This approach helps Newday Media transform a historical theme into a powerful work of art, while clearly demonstrating its creative ability in developing grand concepts and staging large-scale productions.
Impressions after the event
“"The Legendary Train" generated a significant impact on media, audience, and brand value, with outstanding metrics:
- Nearly 10,000 live audience members and tens of millions of online viewers.
- Over 43 million reach and 193,600 interactions and discussions on social media.
- Over 4,435 articles from domestic and international sources, including 1,534 from foreign press.
- Top 1 hottest news on social media on May 31, 2024
- Top 5 of BSI's Top 10 most notable events in June 2024, with 52,338 discussions.
- Covering over 13,000 LED and LCD screens, achieving 750 million views in 15 days.
At the brand level, the program wins Gold Award at the International Business Awards 2025 – a prestigious international award., This affirms Newday Media's creative and staging capabilities on the international stage.
The results show that this project is on the right track in terms of content strategy, creating a strong impact and leaving a clear impression on the public's mind.
“"The Legendary Train" clearly demonstrates how a stage concept can become an effective brand communication tool when built on the right insight and implemented with appropriate creative language.
The campaign created an experience that was deep enough for audiences to remember, powerful enough to spread, and clear enough to reshape perceptions of city tourism in a new era.
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