Selon la presse française:" Les marionnettes sont manipulées par une adresse qu'il est difficile d'imaginer...". Les marionnettes sont manipulées comme par magie, ce qui constitue le charme et l'esprit créateur de ce genre artistique.

If your computer have sound capabilities, you should hear folk music ENJOY. the webmasters.

Water puppetry is a traditional performing art of Vietnam dating back to a very old age. The Sung Thien Linh  stele at Doi pagoda (in Duy Tien district, Nam Ha province) dating back to 1121 (under the Ly dynasty) bears the inscription that the first water puppet was then staged in honor of the King longevity.

Due to the natural condition and their agriculture activities it was the Vietnamese peasants who were the creators of this performing art. Water puppet shows usually took place in the past when the farm work had been generally completed, in Spring time, or in festivals. The French formerly called this performing art with gentle puppet figures "the soul of the Vietnamese rice fields with creativeness and a sense of discovery". Water of puppetry should rank among the most important forms of puppet theater.

The way of using water to activate the puppet and to hide the manipulating apparatus and the manipulation of the show constitute the most splendid creativity. Water give breath to puppet figures , and make them looks fresh. Water also involved in the show, as the saying has it that: "Water also becomes a character of the puppet show".

The water surface gently  undulating with a flock of swimming ducks becomes romantic in the illusory veil of smoke when a group of fairies landing for singing and dancing. But it also becomes seething and furious during naval battles or when powerful dragons are emerging.

A French newspaper wrote: " The puppet figures are manipulated with an unimaginable cleverness. It's like they are commanded by a magical power." This remark also manifests the attractiveness and creativeness of water puppet show.

Do you want to see it when you are in Vietnam ?

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