Water puppetry (Vietnamese: Múa rối nước) is a tradition that dates back as far as the 11th century CE when it originated in the villages of the Red River Delta area of northern Vietnam.
One small village along the Ca Lo River in Hanoi’s Dong Anh district is known as Vietnam’s cradle of water puppetry.
Ngo Minh Phong, deputy head of the Dao Thuc water puppetry troupe, says the troupe gives 20 performances a month, mainly for foreign tourists. It will perform at the upcoming Da Lat Flower Festival and then at Van Mieu (Temple of Literature) during the first three days of the traditional Lunar New Year festival (Tet).
The highlight of Dao Thuc village is Thuy Dinh – the water puppet stage set up on a beautiful pond surrounded by green trees.
Phong explains that water puppetry has been maintained in the village for several generations. Since 2005, more and more tourists have come to see the troupe’s performances thanks to its close cooperation with five travel agents.
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