Hoi An Memories Show Review: Tourist Trap or Vietnam’s Best Cultural Spectacle?
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When you think of Hoi An, images of its Ancient Town, wooden boats strung with colorful paper lanterns, custom clothing shops, and lush rice paddies may come to mind.
An entire outdoor theme park with Disney-esque buildings and props? Not so much.
But located just across the Ancient Town, in the middle of the historic Thu Bồn River, you’ll find the Hen Islet. Here, you’ll discover the Hoi An Memories Land (or Hoi An Impression Theme Park).
Designed to immerse you in Hoi An’s past, the theme park features recreations of villages, mini-shows inspired by Vietnamese folklore, and scenes representing Hoi An’s historic trade with China, Japan, and Europe.
At the heart of it all lies a 25,000-square-meter open-air stage—about the size of a football field—where the Hoi An Memories Show brings 400 years of local history to life each night.
The show is the theme park’s raison d’être. This show employs so many locals of Hoi An Town and is extremely impressive to witness!
Some stats:
- Over 500 performers in traditional costumes
- Synchronized live music and dance with lighting, water effects, and dramatic action
- Reenactments of Hoi An in times past: ancient weddings, market days, lantern festivals, and maritime trade
- 🎟️ Get your tickets here
If it all sounds like one giant cultural performance, it is! But to many travelers, it feels like a “tourist trap.”
Admittedly, it’s not the type of tour/experience I’d usually go for, but as we were traveling with family, it seemed like an interesting family-friendly thing to do.
As a slow traveler who prefers more cultural experiences with locals, I decided to go along for the joy ride.
Here’s my honest review of the Hoi An Memories Show, which Reuters and national magazines have praised as the “world’s most beautiful show.”
My Review & Impression of Hoi An’s Prized Cultural Show
First off, let me recap. The Hoi An Memories Show is a large-scale, open-air performance that brings to life 400 years of Hoi An’s history.
The show takes place every evening (except Tuesdays) on an enormous outdoor stage inside the Hoi An Impression Theme Park, which you can only access if you have a ticket to the show.
Some people have referred to or compared it to the Cirque du Soleil, only Vietnamese style with less circus and more theatrical storytelling embedded in history and culture.
In short, “tourist trap” or not, the show is visually stunning.
Hats off to the performers, designers, and everyone involved because I can’t imagine how much work went into pulling this off. True tourist traps aren’t hardly as dedicated to their craft like this…
Here are more details and tips for attending the show. ↓
What to Expect at Hoi An Memories Land
The theme park is set on Hen Islet, in the middle of the historic Thu Bồn River. While it is a real islet, the area of the theme park was built to recreate the look and feel of historic Hoi An.
Inside Memories Land, you’ll find:
- Village replicas and mini-shows of interactive folklore performances scattered throughout the park
- Architecture inspired by Vietnamese, Japanese, and European influences
- Lantern-making, pottery workshops, and even tea ceremonies
While not historically authentic, the park is immersive and visually stunning, especially at sunset!
Overall, the show tells the story of Hoi An’s transformation from a quiet 16th-century farming village into a vibrant and internationally important trading port, brought to life through synchronized dance, music, and light. And without any dialogue!
Here’s the overview of each act:
- Stage 1, “New Life”
The show starts with Hoi An’s ancient community/farm life with scenes of agriculture, fishery, weaving, and how they laid the first roads and bamboo houses of Hoi An Ancient Town. - Stage 2, “Wedding”
This next scene tells of an ancient wedding between the Great Viet and the neighboring kingdom of Champa. - Stage 3, “Lantern & Sea”
My favorite part of the show is when this one plays with water—it’s stunning! The story recounts the sacrifice and adversity of the Vietnamese people and the women who lit lanterns waiting for their husbands to return home. - Stage 4, “Harbor of Happiness”
The part of the story where Hoi An transforms into a vibrant trading port where foreign nationals and merchants of Japan, China, Portugal, Spain, and Netherlands meet and mingle. - Stage 5, “Ao Dai”
Ao Dai is the long tunic that Vietnamese women wear—and this last scene recounts and closes the loom (the narrator of time) through 400 years of Hoi An’s history.
Again, the Hoi An Memories Show has no spoken lines or narration, so you shouldn’t expect storytelling in that sense. Instead, the performance uses choreography and music to portray the city’s history.
It’s visual storytelling at its best! And truly, there are really powerful scenes.
🎟️ Ready to see the show? Get your ticket here
Hoi An Memories Show Tickets, Time & Price
Show Schedule
- When: Every night! (except Tuesdays)
- Show time: 7:30 PM to 8:45 PM
- Park entry: Opens at 5:00 PM (make sure to eat an early dinner; snacks are available in the park, but not much else)
Ticket Options
- Eco Class (basic side seating): ~$17–23
- High Class (elevated, central seating): ~$35
- VIP Class (front-row, sheltered seating): ~$50
You can purchase tickets online via Klook, GetYourGuide, or Viator for easy online booking and cancellation.
Alternatively, ask your homestay or hotel in Hoi An, as many offer discounts or have insider connections (our host’s wife had a job inside the park, but we only found out after!)
Tips for Visiting the Hoi An Memories Show
If you go, make the most of your ticket by going at least two hours before showtime.
Going early will allow you to watch the mini shows and performances inside Memories Land before the big show begins at 7 pm sharp (19:00).
- Arrive early to explore the theme park and catch golden hour
- Bring mosquito spray and water
- Photography is not allowed during the show
- Wear comfortable shoes for walking around the park
- Eat an early dinner near Cam Nam (I recommend Dua Viet!) or return to the Ancient Town after
Is the Hoi An Memories Show Worth It? My Honest Verdict
As a slow traveler who typically seeks out immersive, local cultural experiences, I went into the show skeptical. But I left impressed! ✨
The show is visually STUNNING and, most of all, a technical feat.
It’s not “authentic” in the grassroots sense that you’re rubbing shoulders with locals during a cooking class, but it’s far from a shallow tourist trap.
Ultimately, if you know what to expect—a theatrical experience highlighting Hoi An’s layered past and Vietnam’s cultural story—this is a fun way to spend an evening in Hoi An.