Open to the public for the highlanders to watch the special art programs "Thien" and "Dance under the Moon"

Due to unfavorable weather conditions, the special large-scale and elaborate art program called "Thieng" and "Dance under the Moon" in Sa Pa (Lao Cai) temporarily adjusted its plan. Instead of postponing it, the creative team and the people chose the most suitable option: performing for free, opening the door to the public as a deep gratitude.

Two art programs "Thien" and "Dance under the Moon" with the participation of many artisans and ethnic people took place in Sa Pa, Lao Cai in November 2025.

On the afternoon of November 7, amidst the dense fog in Sa Pa, Hexogon Vietnam Company Limited informed that the two plays "Thien" and "Vu dieu duoi trang" scheduled to be performed in two weeks in November will be open to the public for free on the two nights of November 7-8.

The reason comes from the harsh weather conditions: prolonged rain and dense fog made it impossible for lighting and outdoor stage technical equipment to operate safely, and also affected the audience's vision.

The program crew exchanged with artisans and local people.

"We want the audience to enjoy art at the highest standards. But when conditions are unfavorable, the best choice is not to cancel, but to give. Art is born from the earth and people, so as long as the audience is still there, the artists are still dedicated, the stage will still be bright," shared a representative of Hexogon Vietnam.

The organizers' decision to refund all tickets to the audience and open the festival to the public has created an emotional effect. Many Sa Pa residents, tourists and artists consider this an action "more beautiful than the stage lights" because it brings art back to its true spirit of serving people, not depending on commerce.

The sacred ritual of the coming of age ceremony will be vividly recreated.

If "Dance under the Moon" made a splash in 2023 on the occasion of the 120th anniversary of Sa Pa tourism, "Thien" is a bolder and more profound artistic experiment with a large-scale stage script inspired by the treasure of beliefs and rituals of the Red Dao community.

The work was written by author Ha Van Thang - former Director of the Department of Tourism of Lao Cai province. For him, this is a journey to repay the mountains and forests. Childhood memories of following his mother around the village, listening to the sound of the panpipe and singing in the mist have inspired him: how to let the Dao people tell those spiritual values ​​in the language of contemporary art.

"Thien" is therefore an art space built by ethnic people. 176 artisans, ethnic people and 22 professional actors of the Lao Cai Province Ethnic Art Troupe participated, contributing to recreating sacred rituals in real life.

Director Dang Xuan Truong - who is famous for his ability to combine lighting, stage art and visual performance art - chose to "build" with absolute respect, without imposition or imitation. Using 3D mapping technology, modern lighting and installation art, "Thien" depicts the connection between earth-water-fire-love-belief; recreating the coming-of-age ceremony - a coming-of-age ritual and a symbol of the Dao people's philosophy of life.

Weather factors led to special decisions from the Organizing Committee.

"Dance under the Moon" brings together 134 artisans and 6 professional actors, recreating the cultural life, festivals, customs and labor of the Red Dao, H'Mong, Xa Pho, Tay and Giay ethnic groups. In the magical space of Quan yard, the sounds of leaf trumpets, jew's harp, panpipes, flutes, bells and drum beats blend together, creating a feeling that is both sacred and intimate.

The show brings an art festival. Each dance, each brocade color, each folk sound carries within it the spirit of "a vast forest attracts many animals, a spacious house attracts many guests". That is Sa Pa's greeting to friends from far away, as an invitation to enter the rich yet pristine cultural world of the land of "five seasons".

Together with director Dang Xuan Truong, artisans and artists have turned Sa Pa into an open natural stage. There, architecture, light and clouds become part of the work. "There are nights when clouds cover the stage, light shines through, creating a magical scene that makes both artists and audiences feel like they are in the sacred world of the Dao people," the director shared.

The main stage of the program has been invested very elaborately.

When Hexogon Vietnam announced its free opening, many called it a "decision of the heart". On the two nights of November 7 and 8, Sa Pa residents, tourists, children and art lovers will be able to fully enjoy "Thien" and "Dance under the Moon". There are no fences, no classified seats, just light, fog, the sound of the flute and people's hearts all in one.

That decision reminded many people of the spirit of revolutionary art in the early days, when the stage was set up in the middle of fields, villages, simple towns... singing echoed in the rain with the return of the people's spirit in art. Due to external conditions, being challenged by fog, rain and wind... the programs "Thien" and "Dance under the Moon" still found the most beautiful way to shine in the resonance between nature, people and art.

THUY PHUONG

Source: https://nhandan.vn/mo-cua-tu-do-de-dong-bao-vung-cao-xem-chuong-trinh-nghe-thuat-dac-biet-thieng-va-vu-dieu-duoi-trang-post921393.html