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Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre
An entry from journal, by George Pembury
About this visit
Short summary:
The show depicts daily life in the rice fields and countryside and include many stories of old Vietnamese folk tales and love stories. The stories are set to the background of enchanting music played by live performers at the side. The show uses wooden hand made puppets that are controlled by poles beneath the pool that is set on stage, the puppeteers stand behind stage out of sight standing in water.
How to get there:
This is right next to the Hoan Kiem Lake at the North end.
What I experienced here
The performance is on a beautiful stage with the pool of water on which the puppets dance around set below the seats. The water puppets dance on the surface of the water and are controlled by underwater rods handled by puppet masters behind the rear screen. Alongside the stage sits a troop of singers and instrumentalists dressed in traditional costume who narrate the stories to music.
In the foyer as you wait for he show to commence is an intriguing museum with may old and new water puppets from over the years. This in itself is with the visit so arrive early if you want to see the range and artisan quality of the of this amazing puppet art form.
I felt very enchanted by the high-pitched female vocalists and the beautiful sounds of Vietnamese music. It became almost a focal point of the whole performance, making me feel very serene and calm.
I learnt a lot about Vietnamese culture and entertainment that developed from the agricultural background in the Mekong Delta and rice Paddy fields.
Photos
Last updated date
Friday, September 20, 2013 - 09:21
