Nha Trang Xua, which literally means 'old Nha Trang' – a cultural complex in Khanh Hoa Province, south-central Vietnam – on Sunday launched Anh Sang Huyen Thoai, a performance that blends folk dance, traditional music, and modern light effects on a lotus lake stage, while also unveiling a space that invites visitors to experience long standing crafts in a recreated rural setting.

The 30-minute Anh Sang Huyen Thoai (Legendary Light) show was staged on a vast lotus lake at the complex in Nam Nha Trang Ward, where the water surface turned into a mirror reflecting mystical stories.

Its five acts combined folk dance, traditional instruments, and modern lighting effects.

The performance depicted fishing villages, craft traditions, Cham pottery, and multiethnic communities, weaving together daily life, cultural exchange, work, and a shared connection to ancestral roots.

“Although it lasted only 30 minutes, the show presented a series of well-curated, meaningful acts,” Hoang Nhu Quynh, a visitor from Ho Chi Minh City, commented.

“This has been the most memorable experience for me during my week in Nha Trang.”

Nguyen Quang Thang, standing vice-chairman of the Nha Trang-Khanh Hoa Tourism Association, said the show is not only a unique tourism product but also a message of pride and a call to preserve cultural identity amid modern urban life.

“The program offers fresh travel experiences alongside Nha Trang’s signature attractions, helping to restore, preserve, and promote cultural values in daily life while sharing and elevating Vietnamese culture values to international visitors,” Thang said.

According to Nha Trang Xua’s Facebook page, Anh Sang Huyen Thoai is performed nightly, with one day off each week.

That same evening, Nha Trang Xua also introduced its craft village space, offering visitors a chance to experience long-standing traditional trades such as Vinh Thai mat weaving, Lu Cam pottery, incense making, and conical hat crafting, all faithfully reconstructed.

Here, visitors can do more than just observe. They may roll incense sticks, mold clay into pottery, wrap traditional cakes, or join artisans in lighting the fire.

A representative of the craft village said that the hands-on activities not only allow visitors to make traditional handicrafts themselves but also help them reconnect with the cultural roots and living heritage of Khanh Hoa.

Nguyen Thi Mai, a visitor from Hanoi, said she was surprised to find a recreated rural space with traditional crafts in the heart of Khanh Hoa’s popular tourist hub during her first visit to Nha Trang Xua’s craft village.

“My daughter really enjoyed learning ways to make pottery and ‘to he’ figurines. For our family, this is an unforgettable experience,” Mai shared.