Entree Kibbles: The Hoi An Memories Show (VIP Seating) @ Hoi An Memories Land in Vietnam

When I first heard of the hour-long Hoi An Memories Show, the first thing that came to mind were the impression series at scenic attractions in China curated by the famous director, Zhang Yi Mou. I have actually been to one; Impression Liu Sanjie (印象刘三姐) @ Yangshuo County, Guilin.

As this one in Hoi An came strongly recommended and blessed with a review rating score of 4.6 on Google Maps with over 1,500 reviewers, I decided to secure the tickets on Traveloka, and splurge a bit more on VIP seating!

Stepping into the theatre for entry to the seating; where you can buy drinks, snacks and even souvenirs like bags, plushies, toys relating to the show's content.

Rules and regulations - I noted that taking photos / videos by mobile phones would be allowed but in actual fact, they don't allow you to record the full show; snippets of them would be fine. This would have been hard to enforce in China!

Wait, that's the entry for ECO Class.

After asking around, it turned out the VIP admission was outside the main lobby of the theatre! Well, I am clearly not accustomed / suitable for such segregated treatment.

A red-carpet treatment before we took the lift to the upper floors of the theatre.

Instead of tight, plastic seats, VIPs had it more comfortable; with padded, cushion seats that were spread out. Each seat had a table in front and while there were two rows, the height difference was significant and you don't get the bobbing-head effect, at least not where I sat.

In addition, you get ceiling fans!

View in front us; a superior spot that gave us an elevated 180-degree panoramic view of the entire outdoor stage! Honestly, paying double the pricing to upgrade from an ECO to this VIP seat is really a good decision.

It was literally a township seating with ships, and shophouses! The setting was said to take up 25,000 square meters; in literal sense, that could mean a 250-meter long, 100-meter deep outdoor stage!

Life-sized replicas that were impressive!

Our VIP treatment continued; with free bottled water, cold towel and a plate of cut fruits! It would have been nice if there was a menu offered, where we could order more food like desserts and even a pint of beer or something.

Start of the show - going through the 400 years of history for this beautiful UNESCO heritage city of Hoi An, which also had an affectionate nickname, the City of Lanterns.

Part 1 - Life. "New land is commenced from the sprouts of life, the lives were born, let out the first cry, inaugurated a new era. That is also the origin of the story that the millennial loom repeats. The silk thread above from the first beats on the road of time with white ao dai, bring the audience returned with "Life"."

Some close-ups!

Part 2 - Wedding. "Based on the famous diplomatic story in history - the wedding of Princess Huyen Tran and King Che Man, “Wedding" recreates the colorful scene of the golden past and the will to create peace and prosperity for the nation of his ancestors in the past."

Part 3 - Lamp and the Sea. "Reaching out to the sea, the brave sons of Hoi An with heroic blood are always ready to face the storm for a prosperous future for the country. Those boys, despite having to overcome many difficulties and challenges, always look forward with confidence because deep in their hearts, the warm light of home is still burning in their hearts, the firelight that lights the way for them is the immortal love of the faithful and loyal Hoi An girls."

Part 4 - Trading Pot. "The thread of time shines on the memory loom, opening a beautiful space... With the sea as wide open as the hearts of the people here, Hoi An has become a bustling port town with a unique cultural identity from many countries. Traders from all over the world have brought here not only products but also civilized values of all humanity, creating a once brilliant and golden Hoi An trading port."

Part 5 - Ao Dai. "As the years have passed, Hoi An has gone through many ups and downs, still intact the appearance of a peaceful, poetic, and beautiful land as gentle as the Ao Dai of a Vietnamese girl. That beauty has overcome space and time, creating a sacred symbol of the country."

In summary, I would deem this as a show that should be part of your itinerary in Hoi An! It was a visual treat; the theatrics was spectacular, the clothes were amazing, and I particularly love the colorful lanterns lighting up the ports, and appearance of the Japanese Bridge, which was closed for restoration when I was there.

Even though I didn't understand Vietnamese, there were two panels on the side of the stage where English translation was provided. Stupid me only realized halfway through the show but it's not difficult to catch the storyline from the performances!