Golden Bell Theater

You’re looking at the Golden Bell Theater, an unassuming French colonial building with a pale façade and regular windows that stand out against the bustle of Hang Bac Street. It’s located at number 72 in the heart of Hanoi’s Old Quarter. The theater was originally called Rạp Thăng Long and staged the main forms of traditional Vietnamese opera during the colonial period. From the 20s, it became known for Cải Lương, a reformed opera that blends singing, theater, and traditional music. The theater is also part of Vietnam’s revolutionary history: on January 14, 1947, Hanoi resistance fighters vowed to sacrifice for the country’s independence, making the theater a symbol of the struggle. Today, the 250-seat theater continues to perform this traditional art in the heart of the Old Quarter, led by the Chuông Vàng troupe and the Hanoi Cải Lương Theater, preserving a historic form of Vietnamese opera.