In her latest music video, singer Thu Hằng sits on the rugged peak of Múa Mountain in the northern province of Ninh Bình. — VNS Photo Hòa Nguyễn

HÀ NỘI — The beautiful landscape of Ninh Bình has been captured in many photos and films, but singer Nguyễn Thu Hằng has found her own way to highlight the stunning beauty.

She recently released her latest music video called Mơ Duyên (Dreaming of Love) shot at Múa (Dancing) Cave Complex, a set of intricate cave systems and limestone mountains, and Ngô Đồng River leading to Tam Cốc – Bích Động tourist site.

Directed by Nguyễn Xuân Chung, the music video is inspired by the true love story of a princess of the Nguyễn Dynasty (1802-1945).

Under the reign of King Gia Long (1762-1820), a princess made a commitment to herself that she would never marry, and instead would follow Buddhism to pray peace and prosperity for the country.

But when she came to Thiên Mụ Pagoda, she felt in love with the chief monk. The monk then moved to Từ Ân Pagoda, far from the capital, to avoid the princess. But she still came to meet him. One night the monk burnt himself to death to wake the princess up. She killed herself too, leaving behind a tragic love story.

Director Chung tells the story in a brighter way through the beauty of the landscape and music.

He uses a Mandala painting, a Buddhist symbol that helps calm and enlighten the mind, as a metaphor. It indicates the universe and philosophy of Buddhism. The monk in the video uses colourful sand grains to make a Mandala painting then drops it into the water. When the monk destroys the painting, he enlightens the princess.

“That scene is very impressive because the painting is very sophisticated and takes so much time and effort to complete,” said Chung.

“It conveys the message that life is illusory. Sand will return to being sand. Don’t be blind for the wrong things, because beautiful things can disappear like the colourful sand sinking in the water.”

Chung revealed that the costume of singer Hằng in the video was designed by Thiều Ngọc based on the traditional royal costumes of princesses under the Nguyễn Dynasty.

Hằng said Ninh Bình has inspired many films and photos. In this video, she tried to find different angles to shoot.

"I climbed up to the peak of Múa Mountain and sang on the rugged rocks," she said. "It was scary when I looked down."

"I hope that people will discover the romantic beauty of the site in this music video."

Mơ Duyên was written by singer and composer Phạm Phương Thảo. She said she appreciated the story, music and scenes of the video.

“Beyond a love story, this video reflects the beauty of Vietnamese women, natural landscapes and culture,” said Thảo.

Hằng was born in 1995 in Hà Nội. She became the youngest winner in the history of the Sao Mai (Morning Star) national singing contest in 2015 in the folk music category. She spent 10 years studying at the Việt Nam National Academy of Music and is starting her career as a professional singer. — VNS