Water Puppet, Ho Chi Minh City

4 more images

This will be pictures of the Assorted Water Puppets of the Show

According to Wikipedia:

The orchestra accompanies the performance with traditional music and song
Dance of the water fairies
Water puppet, representing one of the stages of the Buddhist 'ox herder' parable.

Modern water puppetry is performed in a pool of water 4 meters square with the water surface being the stage. Performance today occurs on one of three venues—on traditional ponds in villages where a staging area has been set up, on portable tanks built for traveling performers, or in a specialized building where a pool stage has been constructed[4].

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, Đàn bầu (monochord), gongs, and bamboo flutes. The bamboo flute's clear, simple notes may accompany royalty while the drums and cymbals may loudly announce a fire-breathing dragon's entrance.[5]

Singers of chèo (a form of opera originating in north Vietnam) sing songs which tell the story being acted out by the puppets. The musicians and the puppets interact during performance; the musicians may yell a word of warning to a puppet in danger or a word of encouragement to a puppet in need.

The puppets enter from either side of the stage, or emerge from the murky depths of the water.

Spotlights and colorful flags adorn the stage and create a festive atmosphere.

Show times: 5:00 Pm and 6:30 pm everyday

- 50 minutes/show with no intermission
Daytime performances by special arrangement

Ticket Price: 50,000 VND, you can buy it at the ticket booth near the entrance of the water puppet Show.

4 more images

This will be pictures of the Orchestra and the Pupeteers of the Water Puppet Show

According to Wikipedia:

The orchestra accompanies the performance with traditional music and song
Dance of the water fairies
Water puppet, representing one of the stages of the Buddhist 'ox herder' parable.

Modern water puppetry is performed in a pool of water 4 meters square with the water surface being the stage. Performance today occurs on one of three venues—on traditional ponds in villages where a staging area has been set up, on portable tanks built for traveling performers, or in a specialized building where a pool stage has been constructed[4].

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, Đàn bầu (monochord), gongs, and bamboo flutes. The bamboo flute's clear, simple notes may accompany royalty while the drums and cymbals may loudly announce a fire-breathing dragon's entrance.[5]

Singers of chèo (a form of opera originating in north Vietnam) sing songs which tell the story being acted out by the puppets. The musicians and the puppets interact during performance; the musicians may yell a word of warning to a puppet in danger or a word of encouragement to a puppet in need.

The puppets enter from either side of the stage, or emerge from the murky depths of the water.

Spotlights and colorful flags adorn the stage and create a festive atmosphere.

Show times: 5:00 Pm and 6:30 pm everyday

- 50 minutes/show with no intermission
Daytime performances by special arrangement

Ticket Price: 50,000 VND, you can buy it at the ticket booth near the entrance of the water puppet Show.

4 more images

This will be pictures inside the Water Puppet Theater.

But the Biggest Water Puppet Theater is the Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theater in District 1. Most of the Big Tour Groups go here.

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 corners of the country, with different kinds of puppets. However, puppetry art has been developed and diversified, as well as popularized, mostly in the northern midland areas, and the plains of Vietnam.

according to Wikipedia:

Water puppetry (Vietnamese: Múa rối nước, lit. "puppets that dance on water") is a tradition that dates back as far as the 11th century CE when it originated in the villages of the Red River Delta area of northern Vietnam. Today's Vietnamese water puppetry is a unique variation on the ancient Asian puppet tradition.[1]

The puppets are made out of wood and then lacquered. The shows are performed in a waist-deep pool. A large rod supports the puppet under the water and is used by the puppeteers, who are normally hidden behind a screen, to control them. Thus the puppets appear to be moving over the water. When the rice fields would flood, the villagers would entertain each other using this form of puppet play.

Performance
The orchestra accompanies the performance with traditional music and song
Dance of the water fairies
Water puppet, representing one of the stages of the Buddhist 'ox herder' parable.

Modern water puppetry is performed in a pool of water 4 meters square with the water surface being the stage. Performance today occurs on one of three venues—on traditional ponds in villages where a staging area has been set up, on portable tanks built for traveling performers, or in a specialized building where a pool stage has been constructed[4].

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, Đàn bầu (monochord), gongs, and bamboo flutes. The bamboo flute's clear, simple notes may accompany royalty while the drums and cymbals may loudly announce a fire-breathing dragon's entrance.[5]

Singers of chèo (a form of opera originating in north Vietnam) sing songs which tell the story being acted out by the puppets. The musicians and the puppets interact during performance; the musicians may yell a word of warning to a puppet in danger or a word of encouragement to a puppet in need.

The puppets enter from either side of the stage, or emerge from the murky depths of the water.

Spotlights and colorful flags adorn the stage and create a festive atmosphere.

Show times: 5:00 Pm and 6:30 pm everyday

- 50 minutes/show with no intermission
Daytime performances by special arrangement

Ticket Price: 50,000 VND, you can buy it at the ticket booth near the entrance of the water puppet Show.

4 more images

this will be a multi part tip about the water puppet show at the Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theater.

There are many water puppet shows in Saigon. But the Biggest Water Puppet Theater is the Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theater in District 1. Most of the Big Tour Groups go here.

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 corners of the country, with different kinds of puppets. However, puppetry art has been developed and diversified, as well as popularized, mostly in the northern midland areas, and the plains of Vietnam.

according to Wikipedia:

Water puppetry (Vietnamese: Múa rối nước, lit. "puppets that dance on water") is a tradition that dates back as far as the 11th century CE when it originated in the villages of the Red River Delta area of northern Vietnam. Today's Vietnamese water puppetry is a unique variation on the ancient Asian puppet tradition.[1]

The puppets are made out of wood and then lacquered. The shows are performed in a waist-deep pool. A large rod supports the puppet under the water and is used by the puppeteers, who are normally hidden behind a screen, to control them. Thus the puppets appear to be moving over the water. When the rice fields would flood, the villagers would entertain each other using this form of puppet play.

Performance
The orchestra accompanies the performance with traditional music and song
Dance of the water fairies
Water puppet, representing one of the stages of the Buddhist 'ox herder' parable.

Modern water puppetry is performed in a pool of water 4 meters square with the water surface being the stage. Performance today occurs on one of three venues—on traditional ponds in villages where a staging area has been set up, on portable tanks built for traveling performers, or in a specialized building where a pool stage has been constructed[4].

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, Đàn bầu (monochord), gongs, and bamboo flutes. The bamboo flute's clear, simple notes may accompany royalty while the drums and cymbals may loudly announce a fire-breathing dragon's entrance.[5]

Singers of chèo (a form of opera originating in north Vietnam) sing songs which tell the story being acted out by the puppets. The musicians and the puppets interact during performance; the musicians may yell a word of warning to a puppet in danger or a word of encouragement to a puppet in need.

The puppets enter from either side of the stage, or emerge from the murky depths of the water.

Spotlights and colorful flags adorn the stage and create a festive atmosphere.

Show times: 5:00 Pm and 6:30 pm everyday

- 50 minutes/show with no intermission
Daytime performances by special arrangement

Ticket Price: 50,000 VND, you can buy it at the ticket booth near the entrance of the water puppet Show.

2 more images

Water puppetry "puppets that dance on water" is a tradition that dates back as far as the 11th century CE when it originated in the villages of the Red River Delta area of northern Vietnam. Today's Vietnamese water puppetry is a unique variation on the ancient Asian puppet tradition.

The puppets are made out of wood and then lacquered. The shows are performed in a waist-deep pool. A large rod supports the puppet under the water and is used by the puppeteers, who are normally hidden behind a screen, to control them.

show times: 5pm and 6.30pm (50 minutes)

Within the gates is the enjoyable water puppet show which is suitable for all. The highly skilled puppeteers enact a lively traditional drama in waist deep water from behind a screen. Leaping dragons, frantic hunters and water-squirting demons lighten the mood for those depressed by the War Museum. A hit with kids.

You can see water puppets at the War Crimes Museum. Check the schedule for performing times.

This performing art has been around since the 11th century in Vietnam. The puppeteers hide behind a curtain , standing in waist high water (but usually in rubber wetsuits now) .

VIETNAMESE WATER PUPPET THEATER (ROI NUOC)
Traditional stories and legends are acted out using puppets... and the 'stage' is the surface of a pond or other body of water. The artists manipulating the puppets are submerged underwater! This unique art form dates back to the Ly Dynasty (1009 - 1225), and was created allegedly as a means of praying to deities and saints. The puppets were believed to be not human beings, but rather autonomous 'folk statues' which acted by themselves on the water's surface and were capable of expressing the hopes and aspirations of the Vietnamese people.