From world stages to home: Vietnam’s acclaimed bamboo circus hits Hanoi with regular shows

Now lighting up the stage with regular performances in Hanoi, this raw and soul-stirring production brings the authentic spirit of rural Vietnam alive through contemporary acrobatics, native bamboo architecture, and a live symphony of over 30 traditional instruments. 

On stage, bamboo is more than just a prop. It becomes a storytelling material, bringing the simple beauty of rural life to the stage through a vibrant artistic language in which Vietnamese cultural identity is expressed through movement, sound and emotion.

Acclaimed bamboo circus returns home 

As Vietnam's first bamboo circus production to tour internationally, “My Village” has brought humble bamboo poles and the beauty of Vietnamese culture to stages around the world.

The production has also been featured by reputable media outlets such as The Guardian and CNN.

Performances in 50 cities across nine countries, including France, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Greece, the Netherlands, Hungary and Australia, and more than 100,000 audience members are among the milestones in the production's international journey since 2009.

After years of touring the world, “My Village” has finally returned to the Vietnamese capital city, where it was first created in 2005.

"’My Village’ is the firstborn of our team. I am happy to see it return here,” director Tuan Le said.

“We had been nurturing plans to restage the production for a long time, but only now have we been able to make them happen," he added.

The director emphasized that the 2026 version is not updated with technology or adapted to suit the times.

"We are staying on the simplest, most unpretentious path, one that we believe holds value and, hopefully, will one day reveal its deepest meaning,” Tuan Le said.

“We hope that during the 60- to 70-minute performance, audiences, whether Vietnamese or international visitors, can find some peace of mind, temporarily set aside life's worries and appreciate the depth of Vietnamese culture through each story of rural life.”

The people and stories that bring “My Village” to life

Behind “My Village” is a core creative team comprising director Tuan Le, music director Nguyen Nhat Ly and creative director Nguyen Lan Maurice, alongside dozens of performers from diverse backgrounds and spanning different generations.

Among them are professionally trained circus performers, retired cheo and tuong traditional theater performers, and ca tru folk music artisans, farmers, young people born and raised in cities who have never experienced rural life, and even a Muong ritual master.

Before joining “My Village” and even before spending 30 years performing cheo, Meritorious Artist Van Doanh was a farmer from Thai Binh, a northern province known for its rice fields, now part of Hung Yen Province.

Doanh, who has been with “My Village” since its first season, grew up familiar with rice cultivation, harvesting and traditional folk games.

“My Village” celebrates Vietnamese farmers, he said, adding that he saw himself and the work he loved reflected in the show.

During its international tours, the production has received enthusiastic applause, including performances before audiences of tens of thousands.

For Van Doanh, it is a joy he has had the chance to experience firsthand: seeing a distinctly Vietnamese story told beyond the country's borders.

Another standout is a relatively new face, Bich Du, whose natural charm and sense of humor make him hard to miss.

Although he has no formal artistic training, Du is naturally gifted.

He plays several musical instruments, performs on the gong – a percussion instrument widely used by various ethnic groups in Vietnam, sings folk songs in a sweet voice, dances gracefully and can even play Hmong khen, a bamboo mouth organ of the ethnic group.

But there is even more to this artist's story: he is also a Muong ritual practitioner, performing traditional ceremonies ranging from rituals for newborns and spiritual blessings to Lunar New Year rites.

The artist from Lac Son -- now part of Phu Tho Province -- said he had followed his family's tradition, performing rituals for the community from the age of 18.

This path eventually led Bich Du to work at the Muong Cultural Heritage Museum, and later enrolled at the Tay Bac College of Culture and Arts and joined Vietnamese ethnic orchestra Seaphony.

After that, he returned to his hometown to trade in dried bamboo shoots, but the business proved too unprofitable.

Three months ago, thanks to music director Nguyen Nhat Ly, Bich Du joined the “My Village” troupe.