The Water Puppet Show

November 23^rd, 2024

In the evening of this epic day in Hanoi, we met up with Gary and Karen to see the infamous Water Puppet Show, considered a must do in Hanoi.  They were kind enough to book tickets for us, so we met them at the theatre.

 

Arriving on our hotel's rooftop patio for a drink before heading out.

Lookin' good Naomi!

The rooftop pool that we never had a chance to try.

A bit about the history of this unique form of entertainment.  Starting as far back as the 12^th century, every year during the annual rice harvest, farmers in Vietnam’s Red River Delta region would gather for folk singing and dancing at village festivals.  About one thousand years ago, water puppets were added to the list of performances at these festivals.  The first shows were hosted in the harvested rice fields, which could be filled with water to create a watery stage.

Before the show, everyone except for Naomi had chosen to get an English audio guide, however, these turned out to be useless.  First off it was hard to hear, but also the narration simply set the scene but didn’t actually translate any of the dialogue that the singers spoke.  It was best just to soak it in (no pun intended) the colourful imagery and the lovely, yet at times high pitched, music.

Ready for the show.

The music was performed by 6 musicians playing some traditional instruments (a few of which I’ve never seen before) and two singers who were situated on balconies on either side of the stage.  One instrument which was integral in the songs was the đàn bầu, which only has one string and a wooden rod that would bend the notes.  The lady playing it was superb in my opinion…but since it was the first time I’ve seen this instrument, what do I know?

The opening music for the show.  I wish I knew what all of the instruments were called.

And the show begins...

A bit of action at the start:

Water puppetry is a physically demanding craft.  Puppeteers stand in water throughout the show and use the movement of the water to create drama, perfect the illusion, and tell a story.  The puppeteers’ secret lies in the material of the puppets themselves, which are made of buoyant fig wood and painted with lacquer.  The puppeteers skillfully maneuver the puppet’s arms using bamboo sticks and strings.  Supposedly it takes decades to become a master water puppeteer.

Full action.

I was perplexed at how the puppeteers were able to create some of the movements with the puppets, seeing as they are standing behind a slightly see through curtain, waving big sticks under the water to create the action.  I joked with Karen that they must be using CGI!

Two birds (perhaps phoenixes) mating:

The performers after the show.

Here's what it looks like behind the scenes (I just found this on YouTube).

The show lasted just under an hour, which seemed like an appropriate length according to everyone in our group.  It was an interesting experience, but not one any of us thought we’d need to repeat in the future.  Still glad that we went.

Afterwards, we wandered down to an area called Beer Corner where we had a dinner at a restaurant on tables out on the street.  We had to quickly move closer to the establishment when 3-4 policemen came by, forcing the waiters to fold up some tables and move some chairs.  About 5 minutes later, the tables and chairs were returned to their spot. 

 

Crazy Beer Corner.

Walking down Beer Corner:

Sitting down to eat with Gary and Karen.

Naomi's Pho that she was not impressed with.

My dinner...not bad.

Having a late evening cocktail.

Looking down from the patio at the bar.

Starting to head back to our hotel.

We finished the night with a drink at a bar before walking back to our hotel.  Naomi and I were getting up early to catch a bus to Sapa but Gary and Karen were going to sleep-in, so they escorted us back to our hotel before we said our goodbyes. 

 

What a day in Hanoi!