12/23/2023 0 Comments Folk water puppetry arts![]() Puppet stages may be part of temple complexes. Puppet statues are used in funeral ceremonies of the Bahnar and other ethnic groups. ![]() In Thay Pagoda in Ha Tay province is found a votive statue of King Ly Than Tong with movable jointed wooden parts. For example, in Dong An in Hai Hung province large male (Dung) and a female (Da) figures made of bamboo and papier-mâché are danced in procession. Puppetry is often associated with ritual. Roi means puppet in Vietnamese and we find the name attached to villages, pagodas, and pools where water puppetry has been practised. The country was reunified in 1976 after the North Vietnamese victory in 1975. In the past, Vietnam was intermittently part of other empires and nations: of Imperial China (from 111 BCE to 938 CE) – after which successive Vietnamese royal dynasties flourished as the nation expanded geographically and politically into South East Asia –, a colony of France (1862-1954) and, for the ensuing twenty-two years, a country divided into North and South Vietnam, which led to military intervention from the United States of America on the side of the South resulting in the Vietnam War. In particular, Ho Chi Minh City has wonderful shows although many suggest booking in advance.As it is officially known today, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV Cộng hòa Xã hội chủ nghĩa Việt Nam) is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in South East Asia. But there are chances to see these shows in other cities throughout the country. If traveling with us to Hanoi, AmaWaterways takes all travelers to a traditional water puppet show in its area of origin. Colored lights and a foggy mist spread over the watery stage, adding to the excitement and mystery. The puppets themselves can weigh anywhere from 2 to 30 pounds each and range in height from about 12-40 inches. Their popularity eventually led to competitions amongst villages and puppet societies became extremely exclusive, with members using code words to keep others from discovering their tricks. Many details of these puppet shows remain shrouded in mystery. To this day, themes continue to concentrate on daily rural life (such as fishing and planting rice) and time-honored folklore. Water puppetry began as a way to entertain villagers when rice paddy fields would flood (and to stave off spirits, keeping them amused so as not to cause mischief!) The first puppeteers would stand in these waist-deep waters and give the hard-working villagers a fun show. And while the art form has spread south to other parts of Vietnam, it has retained its original charm and flair. Water puppetry traces its roots all the way back to the 11th century and is a tradition unique to North Vietnam, originating in the Red River Delta. But don’t worry about language barriers as the gestures of this style of dynamic puppetry needs no language to be understood. Most shows feature music, dialogue and sound effects as well, spoken and played by performers on the side of the stage – and sung and spoken in Vietnamese. Puppets pass objects from puppet to puppet with various awe-inspiring coordinated moves – all of which have to be done by instinct rather than sight as the puppeteers are behind the screen. The effect is stunning and seamless, giving the illusion of the puppets virtually coming to life. (The puppeteers stand in the waist-deep waters behind the curtain as well). The puppets move about through their stage of waist-deep water with puppeteers hidden behind a screen using large bamboo rods or a pole and string apparatus concealed underneath the water to control them while still seeming invisible. The water puppets themselves are distinctive works of art, made of wood and then lacquered to remain watertight and endurable. Think of this Vietnamese folk traditions as Cirque du Soleil’s O meets Broadway’s Avenue Q. In English, the literal translation of Múa Rối Nước is “making puppets dance on water.” And that they certainly do – the Vietnamese puppets appear to gracefully glide, dive and swim through water in a spectacular aquatic show. While finger puppets, sock puppets, handheld puppets and the entire Jim Henson family (think Sesame Street, The Muppets and Fraggle Rock) have long been delighting audiences, the Vietnamese have enjoyed their unique water puppetry (called Múa Rối Nước) for centuries.
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