#WATER PUPPETRY OF VIETNAM FREE#

It is more complicated to control water puppets by string than by rod.” The paddle will rotate when the base moves, making the puppet spin around, or in a certain direction, depending on whether a rudder is installed. For the second mechanism, the puppet’s base directly attaches to a rod accompanied with a paddle. The puppet is controlled via a strong thin string attached inside, running through loops on the side of the rod to reach the hand of the puppeteers. Quốc Khanh, a puppeteer of Thang Long Water Puppetry Theater explains: “The first is a string mechanism. Every puppet needs them, though the specific device for each puppet may differ. Vietnamese water puppets are manipulated by 2 main systems: rods and strings, under water.

Finally, the puppets will be lacquered all in black and dried before being painted in other colors to form their faces, figures, and clothes.” Next, the craftsmen will polish their surface. This stage is similar to plastering, which gives the puppets a water-proof surface. After that, the mixture of Vietnamese lacquer and alluvium from the Red River will be applied to the puppets. Then the artist covers them with nets for protection. Chu Lượng elaborated: “Firstly, the cracks on the puppets are filled with lacquer. It is the most endurable and suitable material for making water puppets.”Īfter being carved, the puppets are painted with lacquer.

People came to find out that the fig wood goes along well with water.

#WATER PUPPETRY OF VIETNAM FREE#

Perhaps that was why Vietnamese people used it to practice carving things like puppets in their free time. It cannot be used for burning or making wooden equipment. “Fig wood was considered useless because people couldn’t use it for cooking or furniture. Chu Luong, Vice-Director of Thang Long Water Puppetry Theater and an experienced puppet designer, said that it is the best material for making the puppets.

The puppet’s designs are strongly influenced by Vietnamese temple art, so they are carved and colored with the same aesthetic features characteristics of the characterized for statues of human and mascots in Buddhist temples.įairy's dance (Photo by: thanglongwaterpuppet)Īll puppets are made of fig wood. They can also be dancers performing trance rituals with candles in their hands, hoping for the Mother Goddess to dispel the darkness and enlighten people’s minds. Since its traditional content revolves around the daily life of Vietnamese farmers and popular spiritual elements, the characters can be a cheerful husband and wife trying to protect their ducks from a cunning fox, or 2 dragons playing ball, spouting fire and water. Vietnamese water puppetry's stage (Photo: hanoicitybreaks) They also feature common aspects of Vietnamese spiritual life, for example, illustrating the trance ritual, the dances of the dragon, lion, phoenix, and the fairy.” They focus on the daily life of farmers, as they work in the paddy fields, herd ducks, catch frogs, and race boats.

“Water puppet plays avoid complicated themes and emotions. Nguyễn Hoàng Tuấn, Director of Thang Long Water Puppetry Theater, said the themes of the show are simple and familiar to Vietnamese people. From the beginning to the end, audiences can only see the puppets and a small folk orchestra that performs live, not the puppeteers stand behind a curtained backdrop in a waist-deep pool. VOV’s Ha Ngan has the story.Ī Vietnamese water puppetry show means puppets performing on a shimmering water stage accompanied by music and singing. In today’s show, let’s take a closer look at the making of water puppets and discover how they are controlled. Puppeteers cleverly manipulate wooden puppets on a special stage covered in water. A guide book says “Not watching a performance of water puppetry means not visiting Vietnam yet.” A water puppetry performance provides great fun and excitement for their audiences. (VOVworld) - Vietnamese water puppetry is a unique folk art, believed to be more than 1000 years old.

Water puppetry of vietnam