It is believed that the shows were not originally meant just for the entertainment of the local rice farmers but also as a way to keep the spirits amused so that their crops would be prosperous. It’s not easy to take a control of puppet A large bamboo rod is used by puppeteers who normally stay behind the stage in order to support and control the movements of puppets.

The shows are performed on water like pools, ponds or rice paddies. The puppets are made from wood which is available in every village, then they are lacquered and decorated as well.

After the hard working time on the field, farmers could sit right on the banks of the field they relax, come up with as well as enjoy some “little festivals” performed by real artists who are actually simple-hearted people a few minutes ago such as singing, dancing, and especially water puppet show. Therefore, there are many festivals and traditions showing itself “the breath” of the agricultural culture. In the past, the daily life of Vietnamese people was closely linked to the water rice civilization and rice paddies. One of the typical scenes in water puppet show in Hanoi Vietnamese water puppets historyĭating back as far as the 11 th century, even it could go back further by a few hundred years, the water puppet was born right on rice paddies in the villages of the Red River Delta located in the north of Vietnam. It can be literally understood “making puppets dance on water” or “puppet show on water” which is one of the most distinctive features in Vietnamese cultural identity. You are probably familiar with a puppet show but a little bit strange with the term “water puppet” which North Vietnam tours recommend. That’s why in the North Vietnam tours, travelers shouldn’t miss enjoying a water puppet show in Hanoi.

If used on a daily basis, the average lifespan of a water puppet is four months, meaning that some villages in Northern Vietnam are able to maintain their income and livelihoods on manufacturing water puppets.Nowadays, among the domination of modern types of entertainment, water puppet still has its own role in the life of people in Tonkin that can’t go away. The shows draw from both human and animal puppets to depict traditional Vietnamese folk tales and legends, such as the Legend of the Restored Sword of King Le (the story of Hoan Kiem Lake and the giant tortoise), a boy riding a buffalo whilst playing a flute, and fire breathing dragons dancing on the water, complete with fireworks. The music is an integral part of the show, with the instrumentalists often shouting words of encouragement to the puppets. The performances are accompanied by traditional Vietnamese folk music played on drums, cymbals, wooden bells, horns, bamboo flutes, and a single stringed guitar. In the past, skills were passed from father to son, as villagers feared that daughters would pass on the secrets of water puppetry when marrying outside of the village. Performances involve between 7 and 11 puppeteers who usually train for at least three years. At performances here, puppeteers stand waist deep in the water behind a screen, and operate the puppets on large rods to give the impression that the figures are moving across the water. Rice farmers working in the red river delta conceived this unusual art form over 1,000 years ago, likely when farmers adapted conventional puppetry onto water after a large flood.Īlthough water puppetry is now performed across Vietnam and even tours the world, the most revered performance house is Thang Long Municipal theatre, located in the heart of Hanoi. Mostly unknown outside of Northern Vietnam until the 1960s, the ancient art of water puppetry is one of the country’s more curious highlights.

Water puppetry vietnam