You don’t have to be a child to be entertained with water puppets. Vietnamese water puppetry opens the door to local culture and is an art form loved by young and old. See scenes of village life on an ever-changing stage, learn about festivals and traditions, and get to know quirky characters inspired by the Vietnamese character. Below is a brief introduction to Vietnam’s wonderful water puppets.
Water puppetry: The quintessence of Vietnamese culture
Water puppetry is one of Vietnam’s unique folk art forms, performed on water with wooden puppets controlled by artisans hidden behind a curtain. With a long history of formation and development, since the early 20th century, water puppetry has become a unique cultural feature that attracts domestic and foreign tourists.
History of development of water puppetry
Water puppetry is a form of folk art that has existed for a long time in Vietnam, formed and developed in the Mekong Delta region. However, water puppetry in Saigon is the place that has made an important contribution to preserving and developing this art.
Since the early 20th century, water puppetry has been performed in many large and small theaters and theaters in the city. One of the most famous water puppet theaters in Saigon is the Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theater – founded in 1956 with the goal of preserving and promoting the traditional art of Vietnamese water puppetry.
Where to watch?
Up to now, water puppetry has contributed to preserving and developing traditional Vietnamese cultural values, while introducing to international friends the beauty of Vietnamese culture.
Performance program at the Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theater
Performances at the Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theater usually last about 60 minutes, with diverse and rich performances, vividly recreating folk tales, legends, festivals, and daily activities of the people. Vietnamese.
Some outstanding performances in the performance program of the Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theater include:
Dragon dance
This is the opening performance of the show, with the image of a majestic dragon flying above the water, symbolizing the strength and spirit of the Vietnamese people.
Buffalo fighting
This performance recreates the traditional Vietnamese buffalo fighting game, with the image of two strong, brave buffaloes fighting on the water.
Fox catches duck
This performance tells the story of a cunning fox, always trying to catch small ducks. However, the ducks were also very wise and worked together to fight the fox.
Lion dance
This is a performance showing the image of a majestic and mighty lion, symbolizing strength and prosperity.
Hung Temple Festival
This performance recreates the Hung Temple festival, one of the biggest festivals of Vietnamese people, to commemorate and honor the merits of the Hung Kings – those who have built and defended the country.
In addition, the Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theater also performs many other performances such as: Vietnamese Bamboo Tree, Mouse Wedding, Eating Starfruit for Gold, Thach Sanh – Ly Thong, The Legend of Banh Chung and Banh Day,…
Water puppetry – A unique cultural feature that attracts tourists
Saigon Water Puppet Show is not only an attractive entertainment art form, but also a valuable cultural heritage of the Vietnamese people. Water puppetry has contributed to preserving and promoting Vietnam’s traditional cultural values, while introducing to international friends the beauty of Vietnamese culture.
Water puppetry is one of the city’s prominent tourist attractions. Visitors have the opportunity to enjoy unique and attractive performances of water puppetry, feeling the sophistication and specialness of this profession.
With water puppetry, visitors not only experience a unique art form but also see the love and passion of the artisans behind the curtain. They have made efforts to preserve and develop this art to bring joy and uniqueness to the audience.
Water puppetry – an quintessence of Vietnamese culture has become a typical symbol of Saigon city. With its history and diverse performances, Saigon water puppetry is not only an interesting form of entertainment but also a valuable cultural heritage of the Vietnamese people.
Through water puppetry, visitors can discover and understand more about the beauty and uniqueness of Vietnamese culture. Take the time to experience and admire the wonderful performances of water puppetry, and you will have memorable experiences on this journey of cultural discovery.
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