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When the audience finds themselves reflected in a pair of carrying poles.
Amidst the increasingly fast-paced life of Ho Chi Minh City, where modern entertainment spaces constantly appear and quickly replace each other, the success of "Saigon Stories: 'The Show Cart'" is a pleasant surprise. Instead of following market entertainment formulas or trying to create a sensation with dazzling performances, the program chooses a quieter approach: telling the story of Saigon through memories, culture, and very ordinary everyday elements.
Gánh Show tells the story of Saigon through memories, culture, and very ordinary everyday elements.
After its first four performances at the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts, "Ganh Show" quickly became a much-talked-about name in the art-loving community. The show's appeal extends not only to young audiences but also to middle-aged audiences, intellectuals, and many older viewers – those who are generally quite critical of contemporary art experiments.
In this 75-minute performance, viewers are not just "watching" a show, but embarking on an emotional journey. There are familiar street vendors' calls, the sudden Saigon rains, the figures of people struggling to make a living amidst the bustling city streets, and the heartwarming joy of family reunions, so deeply ingrained in Vietnamese culture.
Many older audience members shared that they found in "Gánh Show" a glimpse of a bygone Saigon that had gradually disappeared amidst the high-rise buildings and modern pace of life. Many left the auditorium with teary eyes, as memories that seemed to have been dormant were awakened by the sounds, lights, and body movements.
A stage "born" from the very space of heritage.
What makes "Gánh Show" unique is the way the program interacts with the space of the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts. This century-old architectural structure doesn't simply serve as a stage, but becomes an integral part of the artwork.
The museum's ancient arches, time-worn corridors, wooden staircases, and natural light create the perfect backdrop for a story of urban memory.
The historic architecture of the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts became a culturally rich backdrop for the show.
Throughout the program, the central image is that of the carrying pole – an object seemingly ordinary but containing many layers of cultural meaning for the Vietnamese people. From a tool for earning a living, the carrying pole in "Gánh Show" becomes a symbol of memory, of the movement between past and present, between the burdens of everyday life and very human aspirations.
The six consecutive acts are linked together like a seamless emotional symphony. From the first steps of the carrying pole into the city, to the journey of carrying sun, rain, responsibility, and finally, reunion – every slice of life is told through rich, cinematic body language.
The atmosphere of the show constantly shifted between moments of introspective silence and bursts of energy. At times, the stage was so minimalist that only the sound of a bamboo flute echoed in the quiet space. But at other times, the entire space seemed to vibrate with the rhythm of EDM combined with powerful street dance moves.
Traditional music such as the zither, the four-stringed fiddle, the concave-fretted guitar, or Southern Vietnamese folk songs are not "confined" to a nostalgic tone, but are placed alongside house music and electronic sounds to create a fresher experience for younger audiences.
Traditional musical instruments are combined with modern electronic sounds to create a fresh auditory experience.
The language of dance also embodies a similar spirit of fusion. Southern Vietnamese folk dance, ballet, contemporary dance, and street dance coexist on the same stage without any form overshadowing another. They all blend together to tell a story that is distinctly Saigon: open, inclusive, and ever-evolving.
Sharing his thoughts on the decision to choose the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts as the performance venue, screenwriter Pham Thien Vu said that the team did not view the museum simply as a place to hold a show. For them, it is a space containing memories and time, and also a place where contemporary art life in the city is unfolding.
The artists brought to the stage a blend of Southern Vietnamese folk dance, ballet, contemporary dance, and street dance.
From an art program to an ambitious project to create a cultural product for the city.
In recent years, Ho Chi Minh City has continuously sought cultural products that have the potential to become new tourist attractions. However, not many projects have been able to reconcile artistic elements, local identity, and accessibility to the general public.
"The 'Show Troupe' is showing a different direction."
Instead of telling cultural stories through an academic or overly exhibition-oriented approach, the program chooses an emotional language. Viewers don't need a deep understanding of contemporary art to feel the story through sound, images, and direct sensory experiences.
That's also why the show quickly gained popularity after the first few performances. Many viewers see it as an "artistic version" of Saigon - where beauty lies not in glamour, but in the depth of memory and the inclusiveness of this city.
According to project representatives, if properly developed, this could become one of the few unique art experiences in Ho Chi Minh City – a place where visitors come not just to watch a performance, but to feel the soul of the city through art.
The program aims to develop a sustainable cultural and tourism product that can serve both domestic audiences and international tourists.
And perhaps the greatest value that "Gánh Show" brings lies in the fact that, amidst a city that is constantly changing, there are still young people patiently gathering old memories and retelling them in the language of today, so that heritage does not lie dormant in nostalgia, but continues to live on in contemporary life.
