Water puppetry - Vietnamese folk performing arts - photo 1

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In the treasure of Vietnamese folk arts, water puppetry is one of the most unique forms. With the stage being the water surface, the actors are puppets, plus the effects of lights and fireworks create fascinating and magical performances. Water puppetry art is a unique folk art form of the Red River Delta of Vietnam associated with wet rice civilization. Each water puppet ward has its own characteristics and strengths, but in general, the games are associated with long-standing legends from the time of the nation's creation, reflecting the activities and labor of farmers in the fields. worrying and strenuous before natural disasters, enemy sabotage but still optimistic, love life. Ms. Hoang Minh Nguyet, an officer at the Museum of Ethnology, said: “In the world, there are many types of puppetry, such as shadow puppetry, shallow puppetry, but water puppetry is unique to Vietnam. This is an art that appeared about 10 centuries ago and was created by farmers. So, if you watch a water puppet show, you can describe the daily work of the farmer such as buffalo herding, plowing, fishing or some tricks like fairy dance or dragon dance. The water puppet stage is a covered game room, people called the water house. The artists immerse themselves in the water to control the puppets ”.

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The artisans soak in water to manipulate the puppets

The art of Puppet in Vietnam has a long time ago, associated with the wet rice civilization in the Northern Delta. In 1121, the Water Puppet Show was performed to celebrate the king's life, which is evidenced by the inscriptions engraved on an ancient stone stele from the Ly dynasty that is currently located at Long Doi pagoda, Doi Commune. Son, Duy Tien district, Ha Nam province, from individual puppets of a number of individuals developed into puppet wards with many beautiful, strange, and beautiful feats and then they were shown to perform and compete for service. people. Puppet art researcher Nguyen Huy Hong said: “Water puppetry is a product of the Northern Delta. The Northern Delta is the first place of the Vietnamese people. At first it was not called a puppet, but it was just considered a game. Those are imitating people for fun. Therefore, there are 10 sacrifices in the puppet system. In the past, there were places called puppets to be guava, and after that, the Vietnamese people said that Vietnamese culture belongs to the people who grow wet rice. Farmers who live in the area during the water season have to dig soil to cover the foundation, build houses and ponds, so the old villages surround the whole pond ”.

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Water puppetry is usually performed during festivals

Water puppetry is usually performed on festivals, village festivals, happy days, on New Year's Day, using puppets to act and act on water. The art of water puppetry has different characteristics from ordinary puppetry: using the water surface as a stage, called a puppet house or a water house, with a backdrop behind it, decorating flags, fans ... water surface, wooden puppets perform thanks to the control of people behind the backdrop through a system of poles and strings. The puppet is made of fig wood, a light wood floating on the water's surface. The shape of the puppet is usually bright and funny. Mr. Nguyen Van Khoe, Nam Dinh puppet ward, said that artisans must concentrate every time they perform underwater, so there are many difficulties. Mr. Khoe shared: “The difficulty of the water puppetry is that it lies under the water, the wiring cannot see clearly. A game like there are dozens of strings, so the actor must remember right in his head which is the first string, which is the back string. The weather must be favorable for the actors not to be cold. If the water is too shallow or too big, you cannot do it. Water is required to be controlled ”.

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A water puppet room is a puppet house or a water house usually set up in the middle of a pond or lake

The water puppet chamber is a puppet house or a water house usually set up in the middle of a pond or lake with a balanced architecture symbolizing the communal roof of rural Vietnam. The water puppeteer stands in the game room to control the puppet. The water puppet show is bustling with lyrics, whistle, groping, and horn ... The music used in water puppet show is the cheo melodies or folk songs in the Northern Delta. Water puppetry has become an indispensable cultural activity of the people of the Northern Delta and has been with them since this generation.