River show «The Grand Voyage»

   By day, gondolas drift along the canal of a «little Venice» east of Hanoi; after dark, a performers' walkway rises from the water, the sails of a giant ship-stage light up with 3D mapping, and a sea adventure begins, complete with monster waves and a fight with the kraken. The Grand Voyage plays every night at Grand World Ocean City, and it is the best reason to stay on after sunset.

   The story follows a trading voyage from Europe along the maritime Silk Road, across five oceans to the East Sea (Biển Đông) and the legendary port of Hoi An (Hội An). The creators drew on the voyages of Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan: a captain and his brave crew discover new lands, battle giant waves and, at the climax, take on a kraken whose huge tentacles rise from beneath the hull. At the end, the audience is «transported» from the ocean to a thriving modern port, the way Grand World itself is meant to look.

   At a glance, by VinWonders' own figures:
— about 40 minutes of action, more than 62 performers and nearly 40 tons of props
— a ship-stage on the water with a hydraulic system underneath: by day, the actors' walkway sinks so boats can pass
— 3D mapping on the sails, a giant water screen, lasers, fog and «cold fire»
— staged by director Duong Mai Viet Anh (Dương Mai Việt Anh)

   The show is made for audiences of all ages and backgrounds, including day-trippers from Hanoi. The director has described it as international, not tied to any one culture or language: the story is carried by visuals, light and music, so no translation is needed. You are not stuck with one viewpoint either: according to the director, the audience can move freely along the banks and pick their own angle.

   The Grand Voyage premiered on 21 December 2023, on the opening night of the complex, then called Mega Grand World Hà Nội. That same day, Kenh14 reported, the Asian records organization Tổ chức kỷ lục châu Á recognized it as Asia's largest live show combining 3D mapping with a ship-shaped stage. The production was financed by Vingroup. Director Duong Mai Viet Anh had previously staged major concert shows; Kenh14 listed Heineken Countdown 2023 and the «Yên» concert by singer Hoang Dung (Hoàng Dũng) among his work.

   Grand World Ocean City is an 18.7-hectare entertainment and shopping district where the Vinhomes Ocean Park 2 and Ocean Park 3 neighborhoods meet, technically already in Hung Yen province (Hưng Yên); VinWonders puts the trip from Hanoi at 30–40 minutes. It has two parts: The Venice, with colorful houses along an 830-meter canal, and the Korean street K-Town. The stage sits at the widest stretch of the canal, by a large square.

   The show is free, and so is entry to Grand World itself: the district is open 24/7, and you pay only for individual attractions such as gondola rides or the carousel. It is staged outdoors. Come early and you can catch shorter acts on the same river: «Hành trình viễn Tây» (Journey West) at 15:30, «Đám cưới thế kỷ» (Wedding of the Century) at 17:00, and at 18:00 a street circus on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays or a street band on the other days.

   Get to Grand World before sunset: stroll the canal as the lights come on, then ride out the waves and face the kraken under lasers over the water.