A unique taste of Vietnamese traditional puppetry – watch out for splashes!
An evening spent watching a show of hand-carved and lacquered wooden puppets dancing on water to a mesmerising live score is not something you're likely to catch outside of Vietnam. It is a truly stunning experience, and Hanoi is certainly one of the better places to see it.Vietnamese water puppetry is said to have been developed in the 11th century in the flooded rice fields of the Red River area, within which Hanoi lies. The Thang Long Theatre was established in 1969 and since then has become world renowned having taken its shows to festivals all over the globe. All of the shows are in Vietnamese, but that doesn’t count for a huge amount as the live soundtrack and puppetry alone are enough to convey the story, sense of humour and ambience.So how does it work? It's not worlds apart from other forms of puppetry you may be more familiar with: the main distinction is that the puppeteers are waist-high in water, and control the puppets from behind a screen with long rods that are submerged beneath the surface. One of the most striking aspects is the puppets themselves, which are often beautifully ornate. You are certainly more likely to be splashed if you sit near the front, but on the other hand you'll be able to see the beautiful details on the puppets.Audiences tend to be very vocal, especially when a dragon or princess emerges up out of the water. The majority of performances are based on local legends or events in history. Thang Long troupes tend to emphasise the comic element, and you’ll be laughing your socks off even if you can't understand the words.The theatre has a cafe with beautiful views over Lake Huan Kiem – a lovely spot to wind down after a performance.All performances run for just under an hour. The shows are extremely popular so be sure to book in advance, especially if you're going for one of the cheaper tickets.The Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre is at the edge of the Old Quarter, and is open daily. They put on up to six shows on any given day, and some of these display English surtitles on a screen.
