Khoi Nguyen, Hanoi local and founder of Instagram’s says: “The puppetry reflects the culture of ancient, agricultural Vietnam. Thus, the liquid stage – which hides the puppeteers, helps with acoustics, and gives the show a mystical shimmer – was born. For when large floods hit the rice paddies at Red River Delta, the farmers had to adapt their conventional puppetry, by operating the wooden figures from waist-deep water.
It is believed that the water aspect originated as a practicality. The farmers built pagodas above their rice paddies and held community festival shows there to show off their creations and well-practised puppeteering skills. They also believed the shows kept the naughty spirits distracted from creating any mischief which could harm the farmers’ crops.
It was then, rice farmers began to craft their puppets and create shows to entertain their family and locals once the difficult harvest season had finished. The art dates back to the 11th century, on the Red River Delta in northern Vietnam. To this day, when visitors to Hanoi flock to the main theatre to experience the unusual art, it isn’t known how the little figures are mastered so seamlessly by hidden puppeteers. Water puppetry – known in Vietnam as Múa rối nước, meaning ‘making puppets dance on water’ – is a Vietnamese tradition steeped in history, folklore, and mystery. Moreover, the theatre has brought the unique water puppetry art to more than forty foreign countries, like Japan, France, America, Australia, Spain… through performance tours, international cultural exchange programs, and puppetry festivals. Since then, every year, about 500 shows are offered to approximately 150,000 spectators. The Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre in Hanoi was established in 1969. Traditional legends and historical tales are among the enchanting puppet plays performed at the popular theatre, which is located at 57B, Dinh Tien Hoang Street, nearby Hoan Kiem Lake. The Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre in Hanoi is a special treat for all theatre afficionados visiting this fascinating Vietnamese city.
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