Vietnam has been such an interesting country so far.  When we plan our trips, we start out with a huge wish list of ideas and Vietnam had been no exception.  Due to time constraints, our list had quickly whittled down to the most important must see/do activities, in what limited time we would have in each of our 4 ports.   The hours are even more precious while on a cruise, because it may be difficult to reach inland cities and return to the ship in a timely manner.

While puppetry exists in many countries around the world, water puppetry is exclusively found in Vietnam. Experiencing the 1000 year old art was very high on our “bucket list” but there are only a six professional puppetry troops, which still perform the ancient art.   We had found shows in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi which were 1 ½ and 2 hours away from our ports respectively.  Imagine my excitement when I realized that there was an excursion being offered, while we were in port at Halong Bay and it was only ½ hour away!  A single opportunity to catch this very unique art.

Water  puppetry emerged in the 10th century, during the Le dynasty. Villagers in the Red River delta and other rice-growing regions of northern Vietnam, staged water puppet performances; to celebrate the end of the rice harvest, at religious festivals, or simply for entertainment.  Today, the water puppet show is a small window into Vietnam’s culture, offering a glimpse into the traditional way of living.  As we took our seats in the specialized theater,  vocalists entered from the left, while instrumentalists came from the right.  The puppeteers stood behind a screen. The stage was a 3 foot deep, man made pond, in front of the screen, representing the rice paddy field.

The stories portrayed reflect everyday moments of local people, including farming, fishing, and celebrating festivals. Value messages are conveyed through the wooden puppets about family, working together peacefully, honoring nature, and preserving traditional ways.  All stories are told in Vietnamese but it is not difficult to figure out what the scene is about.

There are three ways to control the puppets. The smaller ones are attached to bamboo poles, rods, and strings which the artists tug at to move them around. The bigger puppets can weigh as much as 35 pounds each.  With the larger puppets, the upper part of the puppets, or the body represents the character, while the base is attached to the underwater machines, The strings and machines are hidden by the water, which is why the water is usually a dark murky green. Complicated puppets like the dragon usually require a combination of both machines and manual techniques.

Our show was about 50 minutes long and included 8 short stories. By the time we came to the end of the performance, we felt that we had been fully immersed in Vietnamese folklore, music and language.  This was a wonderful cultural experience.