Water puppets in Hà Nội: what you are watching, and how to enjoy the show

Picture a pond, a little red pavilion, and wooden dragons that swim, spit fire and splash the front row. Múa rối nước, water puppetry, is one of the oldest arts in Việt Nam, and still one of the most fun.

Where it comes from

Water puppetry grew up in the villages of the Red River Delta, where rice farmers performed on the village pond after the harvest. It is old: a stone stele from 1121 already describes a water puppet show for the king. Troupes still play in villages around Hà Nội, and every day in theatres in the city.

What happens behind the screen

• The puppets are carved from fig wood (gỗ sung), which is light and floats, then lacquered and painted.
• The puppeteers stand waist-deep in water behind a bamboo screen. They move the puppets with long rods and strings under the surface; the murky water hides everything.
• A live band plays beside the stage: drums, gongs, bamboo flutes and the one-string đàn bầu, while singers tell the story in chèo, the folk opera of the north.

Scenes to look for

• Chú Tễu: the cheeky, round-bellied jester who opens the show and jokes about village life.
• Planting rice, fishing, herding ducks: a day in the paddies.
• The four sacred animals, dragon, unicorn (lân), turtle and phoenix, often with fireworks.
• Returning the sword: the legend of King Lê Lợi giving his magic sword back to the golden turtle of Hoàn Kiếm Lake.
• Boat races, and a fox that steals the ducks, to finish with a laugh.

Tips for the show

• Shows in Hà Nội run several times a day and last under an hour. In high season, book a day ahead.
• The front rows are the best seats, and now and then a little wet.
• You don’t need any Vietnamese: the story is in the movement and the music.
• Stay to the end, when the puppeteers come out from behind the screen, still in the water, to take a bow.

Go backstage

In our Water Puppets, Backstage afternoon you wade behind the bamboo screen with a troupe, try the rods yourself, then watch the evening show from the front row.