Scenes of farming, fishing, festival activities like buffalo fights, and kids playing marbles and coin toss are all brought to life with water puppetry's caustic humor. It describes daily life in the rural areas and Vietnamese folktales that are passed down from one generation to the next, which emphasizes tales of the harvest, fishing, and celebrations. The performance's rural theme of the water puppet show Vietnam makes frequent references to Vietnamese folklore. Water Puppetry originated from the Red River Delta, northern VietnamĬultural Context of Vietnam Puppet Show Stories Tourists can enjoy this type of art in Hanoi, Halong, Hue, Hoian, and Saigon. This Vietnamese art genre has not only existed in North Vietnam so far but also developed along with the country Vietnam. As a result, puppet societies were hidden and exclusive, with an initiation process including the consumption of rooster blood. Villages competed against each other with their puppet displays as water puppetry became more popular. They eventually realized that water was an excellent medium for puppetry since it not only masked the puppeteers' rod and string apparatus but also created stimulating effects such as waves and splashes. That is why the farmers in this area created a type of entertainment and worship to appease these spirits.įarmers who spend their days in flooded rice fields came up with the idea for water puppetry. Rural Vietnamese in ancient Vietnam believed ghosts ruled over all elements of their lives, from the kitchen to the rice terraces. Many Red River Delta towns, including Dao Thuc, Phu Da, Dong Ca, Nguyen Xa, Dong Ngu, Nhan Hoa, and Nam Chan, still practice the ritual. This unique art form reportedly appeared during the 15th century, when artists who were also farmers gathered to perform and unwind after the harvest. The cultural traits of the inhabitants in this area are firmly embedded in water puppetry. Some of the earliest troupes may be found at Nguyen Xa commune, Dong Hung district, Thai Binh province. The Vietnam Water Puppets began in the Red River Delta in the tenth century. 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.Vietnam Water Puppets History Where did water puppetry originate? 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.
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