Ha Noi gets culture complex

Visitors and local Hanoians will have somewhere new to enjoy Vietnamese art forms and Vietnamese cuisine, as a new cultural complex has recently opened in the capital city.
Named the Vietnamese Cultural Space, the 3,800sq.m complex, located in 79 Hang Trong Street by Hoan Kiem Lake, is expected to be a cultural space promoting Vietnamese culture and offering entertainment for all people.
Invested in and managed by the National Song, Dance and Light Music Theatre, the complex includes a 300-seat theatre, an open-air stage and a gallery. An area displaying traditional handicrafts will also be included in the complex.
According to the theatre’s director, Tran Binh, all the staff have had to work hard over the past seven months to renovate the French-style building into the indoor theatre.
"We were very happy to welcome our first guests. We’ve strived to create a place to promote Vietnamese culture through traditional art forms," he said.
Contemporary art forms will be presented at the indoor theatre, while more traditional art forms, including cheo (traditional opera), ca tru (ceremonial singing), hat van (song for spirit), quan ho (love duet) and puppetry, will be presented on the open-air stage.
"With the purpose of bringing audiences ‘banquets’ of art, the theatre’s artists will change their performance programmes every two days. We can ensure that our stunning shows will satisfy audiences’ eyes and ears," Binh said.
Describing the difference between his theatre and others, he said, "The audiences will be served Vietnamese finger foods and drinks while they enjoy the performances."
A good location, nice decorations, a cosy atmosphere and stock standard sound equipment are some of the things that will help the theatre draw in audiences.
At the Vietnamese Cultural Space, Vietnamese culture is being promoted not only through art forms, but also through gastronomy. The Luc Thuy indoor restaurant and an outdoor gastronomic area have been built to present cuisines from all across the country.
A gallery in the complex will be a place to display artwork by Vietnamese contemporary artists.
According to Binh, Ha Noi is a cradle of fine arts, where many famous artists have developed their careers. "That’s why we also want to set up a venue for fine arts at the Vietnamese Cultural Space," he said.
The gallery is now presenting artworks by famous artist Thanh Chuong. Earlier, two large-scale lacquer paintings by artist Hoang Ha Tung were on display at the gallery.
"We want to introduce the abundance of Vietnamese fine arts. The works of every artist we show will be on display for 10 days," the director said.