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Vietnam Puppetry:
 Puppetry
is a traditional performing art long existed among the ethnic groups
living in Vietnam. It originated from the wet rice civilization since
the Hung Kings founded the country. The Sung Thien Dien Linh stele
erected at Long Doi Pagoda, Doi Son commune, Duy Tien district, in Ha
Nam province in 1121 under the Ly Dynasty bears the inscription that
the puppet show was first staged in honour of the King’s longevity.
Under
the natural conditions and their agricultural activities, the
Vietnamese people have been close to the water. For this reason,
Vietnamese peasants have created water puppetry into a unique
performing art of the country. In the past, water puppet shows usually
took place when the farm work had been generally completed, in
springtime or in village festivals. The French called water puppetry
with gentle puppet figures “The soul of the Vietnamese rice fields”,
and commented, “With creativeness and sense of discovery, water
puppetry can rank among the most important performing art forms of the
puppetry theater”.
The way
of using water to activate the puppets and to hide the manipulating
apparatus and the maneuvering of the puppet figures constitute the
most splendid creativity. Water gives breath to puppet figures and
makes them look more lively and cheerful. Water is also involved in
the show together with the puppets as it was once commented, “Water
also becomes a character of the puppet show”. The peaceful water
surface gently undulating with a flock of swimming ducks becomes
romantic in the illusory veil of smoke when a group of fairies land
for singing and dancing. But it also becomes seething and furious
during naval battles or when powerful yellow dragons are emerging.
A French
newspaper article wrote: “The puppet figures are manipulated with an
unimaginable cleverness. It’s like they are commanded by magic power”.
This is the uniqueness, attractiveness and creativeness of water
puppetry.
In the
past, water puppet shows used to be staged in the broad daylight and
in the open air. Few theatrical performances show such a perfect
harmony with the natural scenes as does the water puppet show. Amidst
romantic scenery, spectators have a chance to contemplate an artistic
genre in which land, water, green trees, cloud, wind, fire and smoke
are present, so are curved red tile-roofed communal houses. In fact
this is a perfect harmony between art, nature and human beings.
Vietnam’s
puppetry has been known with its two main genres: Stage puppetry and
water puppetry. Stage puppetry has several forms such as hand and rod
puppets from Dong Minh in Hai Phong Port City and Te Tieu in Ha Tay
province, string puppets from Moc Thieu Hy in Cao Bang and Bac Thai
provinces. Water puppetry, a unique traditional art genre only exists
in Vietnam.
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