In April 2026, Ninh Binh is more vibrant than ever with preparations for the 2026 Dan Kinh Thien Festival, themed "Mystical Ancient Dan." A reporter from TTVH (Culture and Arts) had a conversation with General Director Le Hai Yen – the woman behind these resounding live performance festivals – to hear her explain the journey of "awakening" the soul of the heritage land of Ninh Binh.
Reporter (R): Hello Director Le Hai Yen, you've made your mark with many large-scale festivals such as the Ho Chi Minh River Festival, the Sam Son Beach Festival, the Thai Xoe Festival, etc. So, for the Dan Kinh Thien Festival in 2026, what "specialty" will you be offering to the audience?
Director Le Hai Yen: In this project, we want to take the audience from one surprise to another, leading to a breathtaking experience. Instead of a static experience in the audience, they will embark on a pilgrimage back to the roots of national history, observing the story from multiple perspectives—sometimes from below, sometimes from above. This shifting perspective will blur the lines between audience and artist, allowing the audience to immerse themselves in the space and role-play within the context, rather than simply observing from the sidelines.
Guided by the narrators, the audience will be instructed on how to enter the sacrificial altar, how to perform the rituals, and how to pray in this sacred place. At that moment, the audience becomes an inseparable part of the Heaven Sacrifice Ceremony. They are the common people, the citizens who witnessed the grand ceremony of the Heaven Sacrifice, a proclamation to the world by Emperor Dinh Tien Hoang, more than a millennium ago.
The core element that makes us different is Mysterious Heaven Ancient Altar It is about respecting the natural landscape. We chose to "borrow" rather than "construct" the scenery, adapting to the terrain to create the performance space. We used props and stage design as humble embellishments to highlight the original beauty of the heritage.
For the first time, a large-scale Heaven Worship Ceremony is being recreated in a space that closely resembles its historical setting. As viewers traverse each level of space, they will feel as if they are passing through reality to touch the mystical realm – where the real world gradually unfolds into a celestial paradise in the heart of the ancient capital.
PV: You've mentioned the "Edu-tainment" element in Newday Media's projects many times. How was this element implemented at the Dan Kinh Thien Festival to avoid being dry and uninteresting?
Director Le Hai Yen: I've always wondered: After the spotlight fades, what truly remains? If it's just the "fun" or the "beauty," that's only the surface of pure entertainment. What I yearn for is for the audience to leave with a sense of intrinsic pride – a feeling only achieved when we truly connect with our roots.
At "Huyen Thien Co Dan," Newday Media doesn't "teach" history. We create a space where audiences can "touch" and live with history. For us, edu-tainment isn't a trendy fad, but a guiding principle from the very beginning of our career. We understand that overwhelming emotions can be powerful in a moment, but they can also easily fade. The most enduring thing is cultural knowledge absorbed through experience.
Therefore, art in our projects never stands alone; it always goes hand in hand with the message of heritage. Audiences may come out of curiosity, but when they leave, they carry with them souls full of stories. Here, that spirit is concretized by telling historical stories through the language of real-life theatrical performances. When you step through the Heavenly Gate, you are guided through the rituals of the royal court and feel the divine harmony of heaven and earth in a truly unique space.
Because we believe that: Only when people understand can they truly love; and only when they love will they have the desire to preserve and explore the cultural values behind each festival in greater depth. That is the ultimate goal of Edu-tainment: to transform heritage into a part of contemporary living experience.
PV: One surprising detail in the script is the 13,000-year timeframe – much further back than the history of the Dinh Dynasty. Why did you choose to delve so deeply into "prehistory"?
Director Le Hai Yen: For me, encountering the 13,000-year history of Thung Ui was a great stroke of luck. Thung Ui has always been a place of spiritual significance and outstanding people, with the sacred Altar of Heaven, nestled in a valley where mountains embrace a river, creating a secluded space where heaven, earth, and humanity intertwine.
But what truly surprised us was the discovery of a perfectly preserved prehistoric human skeleton right here. After DNA analysis by international scientists, the remains were dated to 13,000 years old. Here, he is known by the symbolic name: "The Dawn Warrior" – because he was found at the exact moment the sun rose.
History comes alive through the wound on that warrior's shoulder; a testament to the indomitable spirit and extraordinary physical prowess of the ancient Vietnamese people. The facial reconstruction based on archaeological data has revealed a true identity – someone who chose this land as their home tens of thousands of years ago.
This discovery completely changed our thinking about the program. Thung Ui is not just a place of "birth of kings and saints" associated with the Dinh Dynasty, but a land chosen by our ancestors since the dawn of humanity. We are not just standing on a relic, but inheriting a thousand-year-old heritage preserved for tens of thousands of years.
I decided to include the story of the "Dawn Warrior" in the program as a reminder: the history of this land is much deeper than what is recorded in historical texts. Understanding this significance, I believe that the public, especially young people, will feel a surge of pride and a deeper awareness of the importance of preserving and promoting the precious values that this land holds.“
PV: Creating a live performance art piece in a spiritual space like the Altar of Heaven is certainly not easy. What was the biggest challenge that you and the Newday Media team faced?
Director Le Hai Yen: It must be said that this is an extremely challenging terrain, even for the most experienced professionals. The entire program structure is designed on a symbolic vertical axis: Earth – Man – Heaven. This spatial axis not only guides the audience on their historical journey but also serves as the "backbone" for us to operate two parallel stages in a unified, uninterrupted narrative.
The program is a truly immersive journey. In the first two chapters, viewers will follow a system of natural stone steps from the Kính Nhân Gate to the Kính Thiên Gate. We utilize each layer of terrain and each cliff face to recreate grand scenes of military exercises, flag processions, and the majestic coronation ceremonies of the Đinh dynasty.
However, the "soul" of the show lies in the final two acts. Upon passing through the Heavenly Gate, the audience is no longer merely observers but officially becomes part of the performance. In the ceremonial space of the sky-worshiping ritual of King Dinh Tien Hoang, the boundary between the viewer and the stage is completely erased. The audience will be guided through the rituals and worship in an immersive style, creating a unique experience.
The biggest challenge my team and I faced was handling a space originally designed for ceremonial purposes, not for performances. How could we bring in tons of modern sound and lighting equipment without disrupting the ancient and sacred atmosphere of the Cultural Center? We had to cleverly "hide" the technology, so that the lighting would appear natural, like the mountains and forests, rather than an invasion of technology.
The challenge was made even more difficult when we had to improvise solutions on a building that was already architecturally complete, instead of having everything planned from the outset. Every placement of lights, every sound channel, was the result of numerous trials to ensure perfect harmony between technology and heritage.
The choice of storytelling through this moving journey aims to honor the significance of "Legitimate Nation Establishment" by Emperor Dinh Tien Hoang. The Heaven Worship Ceremony is not merely a religious ritual, but a powerful declaration of national independence after a thousand years of Chinese rule. We are not creating a performance; we are recreating a glorious moment in the nation's history, so that everyone who enters this space can feel the most authentic and sacred moment.
Trailer for the 2026 Dan Kinh Thien Festival: 2026 Dan Kinh Thien Festival: Huyen Thien Ancient Altar – Trailer 2 – YouTube
PV: Thank you for your heartfelt sharing. We wish the program will be a brilliant highlight of Ninh Binh's culture in 2026!
INFORMATION BOX: 2026 DAN KINH THIEN FESTIVAL – “MYSTERIOUS ANCIENT ALTAR”
- Time: 7:00 PM, April 26, 2026.
- Location: Thung Ui Cultural Area, Ninh Binh.
- Organizing Unit: Xuan Truong Construction Enterprise.
- Executing Unit: Newday Media.
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