Vietnamese water puppet

1. What is water puppet show

Water puppet show was born from the wet rice farming culture of farmers in the Red River Delta - north of Vietnam it is imbued with Eastern and Southeast Asian culture. It is a genre of theatrical movement in the form of folklore with full features of folklore in seasons, festivals, and rural cults. Water puppetry has been around for more than 10 centuries, puppetry is present in other countries. But water puppetry is only present in Vietnam

2. The bases of forming Vietnamese water puppetry

a. Natural base

Due to the natural conditions of the area and the characteristics of the ecological environment dominated, there are four ways to deal with water of the Vietnamese in the Red River Delta: making use of water, dealing with water, and worshiping it. and attached to water. In the minds of Vietnamese people, water has supernatural powers and becomes a force to be worshiped.

The custom of living together around the village with the activities of agricultural life around the village pond is the main source of creative inspiration of the residents of the Red River Delta with Water Puppetry. Thus, it is clear that the relationship between water and the life and production of farmers and creative activities of people in the process of conquering nature is clearly seen. Without water, there is no human behavior towards water (water culture), without agricultural production and wet rice agricultural civilization, there is no Water Puppetry. To say, the basis for the formation of Water Puppetry is water and human behavior with water (water culture) of the Red River Delta.

b. Land with wet rice farming of Vietnamese people in the Red River Delta

The natural soil and the inhabitants of the Red River Delta interact with each other, forming a harmonious, adaptive, and adjustment relationship in rice production, which has created the behavior of the Vietnamese people with the land: The land, thanks to the land, worships the land… Therefore, the method of dealing with the land is the cultural basis of the thoughts, feelings, and aspirations of Water Puppetry. Without that cultural basis, there cannot be the art of Water Puppetry.

c. The social basis of Vietnam's water puppetry

In order to cope with and conquer the natural ecological environment, to meet the requirements of a purely agricultural life in wet rice cultivation, the Vietnamese residents had to gather into villages, with ethnic and village rules, creating new villages. intrinsic relationship to tighten people with the village. The culture of the Red River Delta village is the overall culture of the community that is traditional and sustainable, existing in the lives of Vietnamese residents. In folklore activities, through the "strong moment" of the festival, the strength, creativity, and aspiration of each individual and community are revealed to the highest level and are the basis and premise for the birth of the festival.

life of folk art and culture, including Water Puppetry. Along with the existence of traditional festivals, Water Puppetry has a sustainable vitality in the cultural and spiritual life of the people, nurtured with both the soul and the essence of Vietnam. Thus, village culture and Water Puppetry have an inseparable dialectical relationship, village culture gave birth to Water Puppetry and Water Puppetry which is the product of village culture in the Red River Delta. Village culture is the basis of Vietnam Water Puppetry. Water puppetry was born associated with the art of shaping, sculpting, and sculpting statues from handmade hands, with the thinking and creative mind of men trained over the years with agriculture and crafts. in the cultural space of the Red River Delta village. The carvings and decorations on the communal house with the shape of water puppets are shown on the principle of uniform painting, through the aesthetic feelings of men, so it is both liberal, strong, and rustic. rustic but extremely lively, delicate.

The element that characterizes the art of Vietnamese Water Puppetry is the action of puppet troops. The most important problem in the art of creating puppets, the performing art of puppets, is thanks to the actions of men. The masculinity in the art of Water Puppetry is shown very clearly, in the feature of "keeping secrets" of the profession and the esoteric nature is one of the outstanding features in the art of Water Puppetry. The role of men in Vietnamese Water Puppetry is not only because they have the right - "masculine", but because they have masculinity, masculinity, and Vietnamese Water Puppetry cannot be without that aesthetic. . Therefore, the character of the control center, the conductor of the Water Puppet show, representing the Water Puppet artist is: Uncle Teu, not Miss Teu, Sister Teu, and brother Teu. Therefore, the human-male basis of the Red River Delta is the basis for the formation of Vietnamese Water Puppetry.

3. Cultural value of Vietnamese water puppetry

a. Cognitive value of Vietnamese water puppetry

Water puppetry are pictures that reflect the true life of farmers in daily life, from which, we are aware of the relationship between people and people, between people and the natural world. However, understand the labor, activities, aspirations and dreams of a prosperous and happy life of farmers in the Red River Delta in the development process of history.

b. Educational value

Water puppetry educates people about love for labor, love for nature, love for the homeland, love for the country and the spirit of national pride, uniting the community in the cause of "fighting against natural disasters, enemies, and foreign invaders. "Towards the beauty of "village and neighborliness" in the village culture of the Red River DeltaThe entertainment . value of water puppetry. In the beginning, Vietnamese water puppetry was born purely for entertainment purposes, with content bearing a strong love for life, and imbued with the optimistic spirit of farmers in the Red River Delta. make a significant contribution to the cultural life of a healthy, joyful spirit everywhere.

c. The entertainment value of Vietnam Water Puppetry

It is also reflected in the sublimated creativity of the village's artisans who have created new and unique performances for their own community.

d. Aesthetic value

Unlike other art forms, the attraction and attraction of viewers is often through the script, literary language, and expressed by the acting art of the actor. In Water Puppetry, the main attraction lies in the puppet's actions.

4. Where to see water puppet show

a. Thang Long Puppet Theater

Address: 57B Dinh Tien Hoang Ward, Hang Bac, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Phone: 024 3824 9494
PRICE
1st class seat 200,000 VND/pax
2nd class seat 150,000 VND/pax
3rd class seat 100,000 VND/pax
From Mon to Thu. 16:10, 15:20, 18:20
From Fri to Sun: 16:10, 15:20, 18:20, 20:00O

b. Lotus Water Puppetry

Address: 16 P. Le Thai To, Hang Trong, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Phone: 097 203 04 20
PRICE:
1st class seat 150,000 VND/pax
2nd class seat 100,000 VND/pax
3rd class seat 80,000 VND/pax
From Mon to Sun: 16:00; 17:15; 18:305.