The Thang Long Water Puppet Show- Unique highlight of Hanoi, Vietnam

The water puppets

One of the unique places in Hanoi is the Thang Long Water Puppet show, near the old quarter, which holds a record for the longest running such show in Asia- all 365 days for years on end.  Water puppetry is very old – 11^th century onwards and was practiced by the farmers of the Red River of North Vietnam.

The interesting thing is that these are puppets on the water surface , handled by their artists behind a screen. The official website describes it the best, “The puppets are made out of wood and then lacquered. The shows are performed in a waist-deep pool. A large bamboo 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.”  

The shows- around 6 separate subparts- depict Vietnamese culture, wet rice agriculture and farmers’ daily life, accompanied by music – vocal and instrumental. It’s quite a show, one that you couldn’t find anywhere else- not water puppetry at least. For more on the show, visit https://thanglongwaterpuppet.com/ .

One of the water puppet dances

Tickets sold out quickly, and we were lucky to get three right in the front row. Sometimes though, because its tank and the front page is level with the water surface, seats in the third/ fourth row may afford a clearer view. The ticket prices are different per row. Our front row tickets cost 200,000.

The artists taking a bow at the end of the show

There are a lot of tourists coming to see these shows, so its best if you book it early. They have online as well, but we booked early, then strolled around the market and cafes and then went in for the 7pm show.Vietnamese Dong (about INR 672 per head). Other rows are VND 150,000 and VND 100,000.  

Music accompaniment 

 The show is about 1 hour but all shows are in Vietnamese language, which is odd, if they proudly announce that over 40 nationalities come to see these shows. Perhaps a background screen describing the shows would add to the charm and enjoyment. Nevertheless, don’t miss this show when in Hanoi!