Many visitors to Hanoi capital want to see the water puppet show at least once time to experience the beauty of Vietnam’s long-standing traditional culture.
Here are some introduction to water puppetry and the places to watch water puppet shows for you to choose from.
The highlight of a water puppet show that you will get when watching it:
• Learn about the traditional culture of Vietnam.
• Feel the serene beauty of rural North Vietnam.
• Explore the skilful techniques of artists while managing water puppets.
• Know between water puppetry and normal puppetry.
• Study Vietnamese folk tales through a new perspective of water puppet art.
Some places to see water puppetry in Hanoi
Thang Long Water Puppet Theater
Address: 57B Dinh Tien Hoang Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, Vietnam
Phone: +8424 3824 9494
Website: http://thanglongwaterpuppet.com
Bong Sen Water Puppet Theatre
Address: 16 Le Thai To Street, Pho Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, Vietnam
Phone: 097 203 04 20
Facebook: Bong Sen Water Puppet
Vietnam Puppet Theater
Address: 361 Truong Chinh Street, Thanh Xuan District, Hanoi, Vietnam
Phone: +8424 3853 4545
Website: http://nhahatmuaroivietnam.vn/
Features to know about water puppetry in Hanoi
Water puppetry is a unique traditional form of folk theatre art in Vietnam. The water puppet stage is the water surface, and the actors/actresses are wooden puppets. Combined with the effects of light and sound, the artists create vivid and attractive performances.
Both domestic to international audiences also like and are surprised by the talent of artists behind the screen. As a result, Hanoi water puppetry as well as the Vietnamese water puppet, in general, have become a unique art product of Vietnam.
Performing puppets underwater is more difficult than controlling terrestrial ones. Water puppeteers stand behind a screen and manage the wooden puppets professionally through the ropes and sticks.
A successful water puppet show is one that combines the movement of the body of puppets and their parts smoothly and continuously, creating artistic drama.
Puppets are usually made of fig wood that is light and can float on the surface of the water. The fig wood is also easy for artists to chisel it to create a beautiful appearance for each puppet. After being shaped, they polish and paint the wooden puppets in different colours to make them more lively.
The shows often tell about life in the countryside in North Vietnam, which relates to the water, typically fishing and farming. Watching a water puppet show in Hanoi is a great experience to understand more about the culture of this city.
Notes for the schedule and tickets to see the water puppet show in Hanoi
The timetable of water puppet shows in Hanoi is different from each theatre. Thus, you should contact them by phone or check the website to know the correct time of each show.
If you are an international tourist, you can choose to watch a show at Thang Long Water Puppet Theater. This theatre is right close to Hoan Kiem Lake and Hanoi Old Quarter, so it is very convenient for you to enjoy the show.
Each venue for Hanoi water puppet performances offers a different price. When you refer to the performance schedule on the website, you can see the information about the ticket prices of each show. In general, the price ranges 100,000 VND for an adult and 60,000 VND for a child under 1.2 meters.
The Hanoi Water Puppet Show brings lots of laughter and joy for visitors. Each water puppet show lasts about 45 minutes, so you can range it in a day tour while you visit the famous attractions of Hanoi.