Water Puppet Show, Hanoi, Vietnam: Photos & Suggested itineraries

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Water Puppet show, Vietnam

The world-famous Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre in Hanoi has its roots in an art form that dates back to the 11th century.

Hanoi Water Puppet show, Hanoi Tour, Hanoi Hotel

The tradition of water puppet theatre stems from a time when rice paddy fields were flooded and villagers would make entertainment by standing in the waist-deep water with the puppets performing over the water.

Hanoi Water Puppet show, Hanoi Tour, Ngoc Son Temple

Shows at this modern theatre are performed in a pool of water as the stage for the puppets.

Hanoi Water Puppet show, Trave to Hanoi, Hanoi Tour

Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Hanoi with tickets selling out well in advance so it’s worth booking yours as soon as you arrive in town.

Hanoi Water Puppet show, Thang Long Water Puppet Show, Hanoi Hotel

Don't leave Hanoi without seeing a Thang Long Water Puppet Theater show. These musical stories portrayed are of historical legends and folk tales.

Hanoi Water Puppet show, Hanoi Hotel, Hanoi Tour

The show display the daily life of Vietnamese

water puppet show hanoi, hanoi city tour

The show is taken place in a water pond

Water Puppet Show overview

The Water Puppet Show is one of the most popular activities on a Hanoi city tour. It is suitable for all ages, especially children because learning about the normal activities of farmers as well as Vietnamese traditional festivals is both fun and meaningful for them.

Thang Long theater artists have performed many water puppet shows since 1990 when the theater was founded in 1969. Every year, approximately 500 shows are presented to approximately 150,000 people.

Furthermore, through performance tours, international cultural exchange programs, and puppetry festivals, the theater has brought water puppetry art to more than 40 foreign countries, including Japan, France, America, Australia, and Spain.

Water puppet performances with traditional content such as the daily life of Vietnamese farmers (cultivating, tending buffalo, catching fishes…), communal entertainment (swimming contest, dragon dancing…), or historical legends (Le Loi returns precious sword…) have captivated audiences for centuries.

The artists of Thang Long Water Puppet Theater, on the other hand, want to revitalize the old puppet shows by using light, music, and a combination of people and puppets.

The Water Puppet Show is performed in a theater water pond and depicts farmers’ daily lives, including planting and harvesting, fishing, and so on. Although this show is held in a theater water pond, tourists can easily imagine all of the activities as being very real and exciting.

However, if you have the opportunity to visit the Ethnic Museum in Hanoi over the weekend, this show is free of charge here.

Where is the show?

The best theater in Hanoi to see the show is Thang Long Theater, which is located in central Hanoi, close to Hoan Kiem Lake, the heart of Hanoi’s capital. There are also some other theaters to display the show around Hanoi city.

This show is popular with all ages both adults and children and normally this show is included in your Hanoi city tour. It is simple to purchase a ticket to see the Hanoi Water Puppet Show at any theater in Hanoi’s center.

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