VIETNAM – Hanoi – Attend a Water Puppet Show

Description

The farmers of the Red River Delta originally invented water puppetry over a thousand years ago. It began as a leisure pastime of the peasants, and was later elevated to the status of royal entertainment under the Ly and Tran dynasties. At that time, the shows took place in the flooded rice fields and on lakes or rivers. They are now staged in specialized venues or local theatres. Each enchanting performance consists of a succession of scenes evoking images of daily rural life and legends, accompanied by traditional music. One can only but be charmed – or at least amused – by the small wooden puppets seeming to move by themselves on the surface of the water. However, they are indeed activated by an invisible under-water mechanism, the existence of which will be totally forgotten after a few minutes… it is fascinating to watch!

Can be combined with

Thematic Leisure

Hanoi – A stroll in the old quarter of Hanoi

Selling points

• A spectacular show of water-puppetry
• An activity for all types of traveler
• Easy to access and located in the old quarter of Hanoi

Level Of The Excursion

The Impact Of This Excursion

Social/cultural Impact

Economic Impact

Additional Information

Positive Impact:

This activity is important to help maintain the tradition of the water-puppetry in Vietnam, and also provides jobs to the artists (puppeteers, musicians, etc.).

Time And Transportation

Duration

~ 50 minutes

Min pax

1

Max pax

253 (in Thang Long theater)

How to sell it

• One of the must-do activities in Hanoi
• Perfect for all kinds of traveler, families with young kids and big groups
• Perfectly located in the old quarter and near the Hoan Kiem lake
• A show that is not too short nor too long (~ 50 minutes) and which does not require a lot of transportation
• Perfect to finish the day in Hanoi

Why this activity

A “must-do” for a lot of travelers

Good to combine with

Any sightseeing tour of Hanoi

Do not combine with

Any other water-puppet show in Vietnam

Market suggestion

Competitor comparison

All the DMCs

Pros

• Well located in the old quarter
• Easy to access
• The show is good
• Good value for money

Cons

It is really orientated to masses of tourists, if you wish to have a private water-puppet show in a better environment it is also possible to organize it somewhere else.

Information

• A lot of different schedules depending on the theater
• Location: Thang Long Water Puppetry Theatre – 57 Dinh Tien Hoang or at Bong Sen Theatre – 79 Hang Trong.
• Show time: at Thang Long theatre, there are lots show times to choose; The size of Bong Sen Theatre is smaller and only have a show at 17.00 pm or at 18.30 pm.

Alerts

Be careful with travelers wanting to escape the mass tourist crowds, this is precisely the definition of mass-tourism.

Important information

• Capacity of Thang Long theatre: 300 pax. Bong Sen theatre: 242 pax. If we want to have private show at these theatres, we need to inform 1 month in advance to our partner. If travelers want to watch the show from 09.00 am – 16.00 pm => need to inform a week in advance

Price range

$

Quotation guideline

7$/ pax

Inclusion

Tickets to the show

Exclusion

Transpotation, guide, food & drinks

English

Attend a water puppet show
The farmers of the Red River Delta originally invented water puppetry over a thousand years ago. It began as a leisure pastime of the peasants, and was later elevated to the status of royal entertainment under the Ly and Tran dynasties. At that time, the shows took place in the flooded rice fields and on lakes or rivers. Now staged in special venues or local theatres, this folkloric performance consists of a succession of scenes evoking images of daily rural life and legends, accompanied by traditional music.

French

Spectacle de marionnettes sur l’eau
Vous assisterez à une représentation de marionnettes sur l’eau. Les marionnettes sur l’eau furent inventées il y a mille ans par les fermiers du delta du Fleuve Rouge. C’était alors un passe-temps pour les paysans, qui fut élevé au rang de divertissement royal sous les dynasties Ly et Tran. A l’époque, les représentations avaient lieu dans les rizières inondées, sur les lacs ou les rivières ; elles ont lieu à présent dans des salles ou des théâtres locaux. Ce spectacle typique et enchanteur consiste en une succession de tableaux évoquant des scènes de la vie quotidienne et des légendes sur fond de musique traditionnelle.

Spanish

Asista a un espectáculo de marionetas
Los agricultores del delta del río Rojo inventaron las marionetas de agua hace más de mil años. Comenzó como un entretenimiento para los campesinos, y más tarde se elevó su estatus a entretenimiento real durante las dinastías Ly y Tran. En ese momento, los espectáculos se realizaban en campos de arroz anegados y en lagos o ríos. Ahora realizados en locales y teatros, este espectáculo folclórico encantador consiste en una sucesión de escenas que evocan imágenes de la vida diaria y de leyendas, acompañados de música tradicional.

Italian

Spettacolo di marionette
Oggi assisterete ad un peculiare spettacolo di marionette sull’acqua, una forma d’arte risalente a migliaia di anni fa, che venne inventata dai contadini sul delta del Fiume Rosso e successivamente elevata ad intrattenimento reale all’epoca delle dinastie Ly e Tran. Inizialmente inscenato nelle risaie inondate o sulle acque dei laghi e dei fiumi, questo genere di spettacolo folcloristico viene oggi riproposto presso teatri e luoghi d’incontro e si propone di rappresentare su una base di musica tradizionale scene della vita di ogni giorno e leggende popolari.

German

Nehmen Sie am Wasserpuppentheater teil
Ursprünglich wurde das Wasserpuppentheater von Bauern aus dem Delta-Gebiet des Roten Flusses vor mehr als tausend Jahren ins Leben gerufen. Es begann als ein Hobby für Landwirte und wurde später zur königlichen Unterhaltung in der Ly- und Tran-Dynastie  weiterentwickelt. Zu jener Zeit fand die Aufführung auf überfluteten Reisfeldern, Seen oder Flüssen statt. Heutzutage wird das Theater an Spielorten bzw. lokalen Theatern gespielt. Diese volkstümliche und wunderschöne Kunstform porträtiert häufig alltägliche Szenen aus dem Leben und Legenden, begleitet von traditioneller Musik.

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