Being a
traditional Vietnamese art, the water puppet is a specialty in
Red River Delta. It has been practiced here in Vietnam for many hundreds of years. Initially, this traditional entertainment was started as a celebration of the end of
the rice harvest. Time by time, it has been adapted to provide “
Entertainment” for people during special events and ceremonies.
PERFORMANCE
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It is said that it is
important to enjoy the water puppet when they have a chance to
visit Hanoi. It used to be performed by farmers in
paddy fields for centuries, and is handed down from generation to generation.
 |
| A puppeteer was preparing before the show |
The
puppeteers are situated behind a screen and
stand in waist deep water controlling the puppets with long wooden sticks that mostly are under the water. The Puppets are often
made from wood. It is also
painted to protect them from water damage.
 |
| Overview of a stage in Thang Long theater |
Today’s performances usually include a number of
short spoken stories rather than long ones, taking the audience on a journey of ancient village life, agricultural harvests and
Vietnamese folk tales. Most shows also feature the famous
Legend of the Restored Sword of King Le, which tells the tale of Hoan Kiem Lake and the giant tortoise.
 |
| A live music band in Resored Sword story |
The
live music plays a crucial part of the show with
singers often shouting encouraged words to the puppets. This exciting performance also comes with
special effects such as smoke and
mini-fireworks, plus traditional music played by old folks.
 |
| Mini-firework was added to enhance dramatic moments |
The most
famous water puppet show in Hanoi is shown at the
Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre located at the northeast end of
Hoan Kiem Lake.
 |
| Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre |
The
daily show times are 13h45 - 15h00 - 16h10 - 17h20 - 18h30 - 20h00 - 21h15 and 9.30 on Sunday morning. Each performance lasts about
an hour. The counter closes at 6.45 pm to 7.30 pm.
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