![]() They are generally controlled using a combination of bamboo poles and strings. The puppets can weigh up to 15kg and are 30-100cm (12-40inches) in height. The lacquer tree’s resin is used to varnish the wood and make it water-resistant. Puppets are hand-carved, usually from the wood of fig trees which are abundant in Vietnam. The water also reflects the theatrical lighting, adding to the magic of the scene. The water provides a dynamic play surface with which the puppets can appear and disappear, splash and even be enhanced with fiery effects. ![]() These have evolved over time to water tanks located permanently in specialist theatres and portable tanks used by touring puppet troupes. ![]() A structure was built to hide performers and create a backdrop to the show made to look like a pagoda or communal house. Traditionally a water puppet stage would have been a waist-deep pond, river or flooded rice field. The puppets controlled by a variety of devices hidden beneath the murky water’s surface, to create the theatrical illusion of puppets without strings. Hand-carved, wooden puppets perform on a fluid stage controlled by puppeteers hidden behind a screen. The art of Vietnamese water puppets originated in the rice-growing regions of northern Vietnam, such as the Red River Delta. I was relieved to find out that we were going to see the show from the inside of a heated theatre. Though I had no concept of what a water puppet show would be like, I knew it was traditionally an outdoor activity and was expecting to be sitting in the chilly winter night air. I rugged up for a cold evening in the park where I thought I was going to take in my first water puppet experience in Hanoi. ![]() To this day, the unique form of theatre can generally only be experienced in this corner of the world. You’ve seen Disney on Ice, how about puppets on water? Vietnamese water puppets are an ancient art originating on the rice paddies of North Vietnam. ![]()
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