Fifty years have passed since beloved President Ho Chi Minh issued an instruction to former Minister Hoang Minh Giam saying in part: "... it is needed to have a professional puppet art troupe for our children to enjoy and smile..." This short sentence was really a very important instruction and a goal to achieve by the Vietnam National Puppetry Theatre in particular and Vietnam’s puppetry sector in general.

March 12 has entered the history of Vietnam’s puppetry sector as a brilliant milestone. Compared to the thousand-year history of traditional water puppetry left by our ancestors, Vietnam’s puppetry has in recent years developed to a new plane with a new perspective.  Followings are some photos of Vietnam National Puppetry Theatre in its inception:

Celebration of the anniversary of the Instruction by Uncle Ho on the establishment of the Theatre on March 12, 1956

Uncle Ho with artists and staff of the Theatre (in 1961)

President Ho Chi Minh with Theatre artists and staff at the Presidential Palace (in 1961)

Activities of the Theatre in the first years of establishment

Helping local puppet troupes to develop puppet plays (in 1961)

First puppet plays and items in the Theatre’s inception