# Travel Destinations > Central Asia >  The art of the water puppetry

## seovnts

The art of the water puppetry
Puppetry is a traditional art form closely connected with the long-standing spiritual life of the Vietnamese people. There are many kinds of puppet-shows in all the corner of the country. Puppets of different kinds can be found all over the country. However, puppetry art has been developed and diversified as well as popularized mostly in northern midland areas and the plains in Vietnam. The word "roi" (puppetry) has become part of the proper name applied to villages, to pagodas and even to ponds found in many places. (Puppetry villages at Y Yen, Nam Dinh Province; puppetry pagodas at Phu Xuyen, Ha Tay province...)
 Since early times, "robe-climbing and puppetry" have been forms of entertainment and have attracted lots of people. Public love, here and there, was expressed through Vietnamese folk songs, idioms, and literature...
 In old days, puppetry was closely linked to the tradition and customs of Vietnam. Dong An village festival (Hung Yen province) reperformed the myth of "Dung, Da" by two big puppets. (These two big puppets were made of bamboo, had paper faces and colorful clothes). The villagers carried them around the village and showed their great happiness. This kind of puppets was found in Ba Chua Muoi Temple Festival (Queen of Salt Festival). Its face was made of bamboo, its body was made of poles and its march-clothes were made of sails. All parts of Ly Than Tong Statue (Ha Tay province) and Linh Lang Statue (Ha Cau Temple, Hai Phong Province) were carved separately and were put together with joints so that they could move like string-puppets. There were many puppets standing over night in the fields in order to threaten mice and birds harmful to crops. On Mid-July, Vietnamese people often burn joss stick and paper items for lost souls. On Mid-Autumn Festival (Ram), adults buy toy-puppets for
children. Dragon dances, Lion dances, the dance of Four Magical Animals, Land God dances are attractive amusement of festivals in ethnic minorities. There have been many bird-disguised dances connected with "Animal religion" such as peacock dances (Black Thai ethnic minorities), Phoenix dances, Gru bird dances (Ede ethnic minorities), and Dove dances (Cao Lan ethnic minorities). " Puppet-statues" found in worshipping of La Chi and Lo Lo people. Bana ethnic minorities have many puppetry shows in funeral festivals in order to satisfy not only themselves but also the lost souls. In "puppetry family", there has been "mask dances" at Xuan Pha (Thanh Hoa province). Khmer people (from South Vietnam) have their own mask stage called Robam Tuong. 
At present, Bi Pagoda (Nam Dinh Province) and Keo Pagoda (Ha Tay province) still preserve puppetry theatres, which were built on the surface of the ponds in front of Communal Houses centuries ago, have survived until the present day in several places such as Thay Pagoda (Ha Tay province) or Giong Temple (Hanoi).

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## harmayanigrengel

Up to 8 puppeteers stand behind a split-bamboo screen, decorated to resemble a temple facade, and control the puppets using long bamboo rods and string mechanism hidden beneath the water surface. The puppets are carved out of wood and often weigh up to 15 kg.A traditional Vietnamese orchestra provides background music accompaniment. The instrumentation includes vocals, drums, wooden bells, cymbals, horns

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## teena4gupta

Everything is new for me about water puppetry! I didn't know anything about water puppetry.

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## mikiothor

Hi
Welcome to this forum site, here you can find lots of things, I suggest you for your problem you have to contact you friends, I am not able to give you answer right now, sorry for that.

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## Mellen00

Hay dear am newbie here and i want to know about puppetry properly please help me here its really nice and cooperative community as i know  i hope member of this community will be cooperate with me here...

Brisbane Timber Fence

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## margauxrodriguez

Water puppetry is performed in a chest-deep pool of water, with the water's surface as a stage.

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## shipley

In old days, puppetry was closely linked to the tradition and customs of Vietnam. Dong An village festival reperformed the myth of "Dung, Da" by two big puppets. Its face was made of bamboo, its body was made of poles and its march-clothes were made of sails. 
 There are many kinds of puppet-shows in all the corner of the country. Puppets of different kinds can be found all over the country. Puppetry is a traditional art form closely connected with the long-standing spiritual life of the Vietnamese people.However, puppetry art has been developed and popularized mostly in northern midland areas and the plains in Vietnam. The word "roi" (puppetry) has become part of the proper name applied to villages, to pagodas and even to ponds found in many places. 

 "Not watching a performance of water puppetry means not visiting Vietnam yet". This is the practical advice appearing in many guidebooks in Vietnam. And it is so true that most visitors to Vietnam try to watch a performance of water puppetry at least once. And after the performance, most of them are excited and always repeat this advice to their relatives who are going to take a tour to the beautiful country named Vietnam.

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## jamty

I tried looking for it on youtube but couldnt get a decent video  :Frown:

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## LindaWalter

Thanks for sjharing such wonderful post. hoping more good post from you.

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## davidsmith36

Water puppetry is a custom that goes back similarly as the eleventh century when it began in the towns of the Red River Delta territory of northern Vietnam. Today's Vietnamese water puppetry is a one of a kind minor departure from the antiquated Asian manikin convention. 
The manikins are made out of wood and after that lacquered. The shows are performed in a midsection profound pool. A vast bamboo pole bolsters the manikin under the water and is utilized by the puppeteers, who are ordinarily taken cover behind a screen, to control them. In this way the manikins give off an impression of being moving over the water. At the point when the rice fields would surge, the villagers would engage each other utilizing this type of manikin play.

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## Adamjones

Puppets are made of wood and coated with waterproof paint. Each puppet is handmade, has its own posture and expresses a certain character. The most outstanding puppet is known as chu teu which has a round face and a humorous and optimistic smile. The show starts with chu teu, dressed in an odd costume, offering joyful laughter.

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## steffidsouza46

Through ages, water puppetry has been ocupied a significant role in Vietnamese Art, and is a unique form of art involved the wetland rice culture of the Red river.

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## emmajoe

Thanks for sharing.

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