Vietnams water puppetry
![vietnams water puppetry vietnams water puppetry](https://opherworld.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/img_9531.jpg)
One of the most famous characters who closely associated with the Vietnamese traditional water puppetry as well as Hanoian culture through hundreds years named “Teu”. Singers and an orchestra of Cheo sitting behind the scene are responsible for dubbing over characters and singing while playing traditional instruments such as bamboo flutes, wooden bells, vocals, cymbals and drums. The characters’ lines and background music are all presented by the term of singing Cheo – a popular traditional music performance in the North of Vietnam. During the performance, puppets are controlled via the system of poles and long strings hidden under the water surface by puppeteers standing in waist-deep water behind the bamboo curtain of the water stage. The outstanding feature that makes Vietnamese water puppetry is unique and different is its stage which is performed on water, whereas other kinds of puppetry in the world performed on ground. Puppets then are lacquered by different colors basing on the specific costume and role of each character. Puppets are made from a special kind of wood called "Sung" which is featured with lightweight that makes the puppets floated and easy to be controlled under the surface of water. It can be claimed that water puppetry has a crucial spiritual value which is very close to the traditional culture and history of ancient Hanoi people.
![vietnams water puppetry vietnams water puppetry](https://ehgtravel.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Water_puppet_show_3mly-j7.jpg)
Founded in 1969, the theater has since performed throughout the world.Water puppetry is a traditional form of folk arts that originally appeared in the Red River Delta in the North of Vietnam in the period of Ly Dynasty in 11th century. The Thang Long Water Puppet Theater in Hanoi is famous for these shows. Modern puppeteers now wear protective clothing. Early puppeteers downed strong doses of nuoc mam (a fish sauce) and ginger tea to help them endure bitingly cold winter performances. Generation of puppeteers have suffered from water-borne diseases, rheumatism and leeches while practicing the craft.
#Vietnams water puppetry code
Even today, village guilds of puppeteers refer to the more complex maneuvers only by code names. The details of their tricks have been kept secret for centuries. The base includes a rudder and acts as a fulcrum for the strings that control the upper body. The puppet is usually fixed to a floating base at one end of a long bamboo. Maneuvering them across the stage while synchronizing the movement of their limbs require strength, dexterity and sometimes two or three people. Each puppet stands about two feet tall and can weigh between 9 and 14 kg. The puppets are made of wood and then lacquered to make it watertight and endurable.
![vietnams water puppetry vietnams water puppetry](http://www.themadtraveleronline.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/vietnam-water-puppet-show-007.jpg)
Modern performances usually consist of several short sketches rather than one long story, taking the audience on a journey of ancient village life, agricultural harvests and dances of mythical creatures. Stories of the harvest, of fishing and of festivals are often highlighted.
![vietnams water puppetry vietnams water puppetry](https://www.holidify.com/images/cmsuploads/compressed/2_20180707143235.jpg)
The themes of play ranges from day-to-day lives to Vietnamese folk tales and legends. Later, communal ponds became stages for these impromptu performances, enhancing the widespread development of the art form. The original water puppet shows were held inside rice paddy fields after the harvest to celebrate the end of the harvest season. Water puppetry is thought to have developed in the villages of the Red River Delta area of northern Vietnam in the 11th century. The water not only hides the puppet strings and puppeteer movements, it also provides opportunities for effects such as waves and splashes and shimmering lights. A traditional Vietnamese orchestra provides background music while singers sing the story being acted out by the puppets. The puppeteers stand in chest-deep pool of water, behind a curtain backdrop, and control wooden puppets via poles and strings hidden under the water, while the puppets dance over the water’s surface. For centuries, Vietnamese kids and grown-ups alike have been entertained by a unique kind of puppet show -one that is performed on water.