• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Divergent Travelers

Divergent Travelers

Award-Winning Adventure Travel Blog

CLICK TO OPEN MENUMENU
  • TRAVEL TIPS
    • TRAVEL INSPIRATION
    • HOW TO PLAN A TRIP
    • HOW TO SAVE MONEY FOR TRAVEL
    • CHEAP PLACES TO TRAVEL
    • FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS
    • FIND CHEAP ACCOMMODATION
    • TRAVEL SAFETY TIPS
    • TRAVEL ITINERARIES
    • TRAVEL GEAR GUIDE
    • TRAVEL INSURANCE ADVICE
  • USA TRAVEL
    • USA TRAVEL GUIDE
    • USA NATIONAL PARKS
    • WEST COAST USA
      • ALASKA
      • CALIFORNIA
      • HAWAII
    • MOUNTAIN USA
      • COLORADO
      • MONTANA
      • WYOMING
    • MIDWEST USA
      • MINNESOTA
      • NORTH DAKOTA
      • WISCONSIN
    • NORTHEAST USA
      • NEW YORK
    • SOUTHWEST USA
      • ARIZONA
      • NEVADA
      • UTAH
    • SOUTHEAST USA
      • FLORIDA
      • NORTH CAROLINA
      • VIRGINIA
  • DESTINATIONS
    • WORLDWIDE
    • AFRICA
      • BOTSWANA
      • ETHIOPIA
      • KENYA
      • MALAWI
      • NAMIBIA
      • RWANDA
      • SOUTH AFRICA
      • TANZANIA
      • ZIMBABWE
    • ANTARCTICA
    • ASIA
      • CHINA
      • HONG KONG
      • INDIA
      • KYRGYZSTAN
      • MACAU
      • MALDIVES
      • RUSSIA
      • SOUTH KOREA
      • SRI LANKA
      • TIBET
      • TURKMENISTAN
      • UZBEKISTAN
    • SOUTHEAST ASIA
      • BORNEO
      • CAMBODIA
      • INDONESIA
      • MALAYSIA
      • MYANMAR
      • PHILIPPINES
      • SINGAPORE
      • THAILAND
      • VIETNAM
    • CARIBBEAN
    • CENTRAL AMERICA
    • EUROPE
      • NORDICS
        • DENMARK
        • FINLAND
        • ICELAND
        • NORWAY
        • SWEDEN
      • WESTERN EUROPE
        • BELGIUM
        • ENGLAND
        • FRANCE
        • IRELAND
        • LUXEMBOURG
        • NETHERLANDS
        • SCOTLAND
      • CENTRAL EUROPE
        • CZECH REPUBLIC
        • GERMANY
        • HUNGARY
        • POLAND
      • SOUTHERN EUROPE
        • ITALY
        • SPAIN
      • BALKANS
        • CROATIA
        • GREECE
        • MONTENEGRO
    • MIDDLE EAST
      • EGYPT
      • JORDAN
      • MOROCCO
      • TURKEY
    • NORTH AMERICA
      • CANADA
      • GREENLAND
      • MEXICO
      • UNITED STATES
    • OCEANIA
      • AUSTRALIA
      • EASTER ISLAND
      • FIJI
      • NEW ZEALAND
    • SOUTH AMERICA
      • ARGENTINA
      • BRAZIL
      • CHILE
      • COLOMBIA
      • ECUADOR
      • PERU
      • VENEZUELA
  • TRAVEL STYLES
    • ADVENTURE TRAVEL
    • CRUISING
    • CULTURAL
    • HIKING TRIPS
    • KAYAKING
    • POLAR EXPEDITIONS
    • ROAD TRIPS
    • TROPICAL DESTINATIONS
    • WILDLIFE EXPERIENCES
  • PHOTOGRAPHY
    • MASTER GOPRO PHOTOGRAPHY
    • BEST GOPRO ACCESSORIES
    • BEST CAMERA ACCESSORIES
    • BEST DRONES FOR TRAVEL
    • BEST TRAVEL TRIPOD
    • OUR PHOTO GEAR
  • ABOUT
    • MEET LINA & DAVID
    • WORK WITH US
    • CONTACT

Vietnamese Traditional Water Puppet Show in Hanoi

You are here: Home / Southeast Asia Travel / Vietnamese Traditional Water Puppet Show in Hanoi

By David Stock on January 12, 2015 • Last updated August 17, 2020 • 5 Comments
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our Disclosure here

One of the strangest tourist attractions in Hanoi, Vietnam is the water puppet show. It’s a mix of handcrafted puppets performing dances on a pools surface to traditional music. We really did not know what we were getting into until the first few acts started. It’s no wonder they say a visit to Hanoi is not complete until you have experienced a Thang Long Water Puppet show.

Water Puppet History

Traditional Vietnamese water puppetry is a unique folk art that originated a thousand years ago. Villagers in Northern Vietnam staged water puppet performances to celebrate the end of the rice harvest, religious festivals, and other important occasions. 

The original water puppet festivals were performed inside a rice paddy, with a building (pagoda) built on the top to hide the puppeteers who stand in the waist-deep water. The water acts as the main stage for the puppets and as a symbolic link to the rice harvest.

It also hides the puppets strings and puppeteer movements, improves the musical and vocal acoustics, and also provides a shimmering lighting effect.

Thang Long Water Puppet Show Theater

A modern water puppet show today imitates the daily activities that a Vietnamese villager would encounter each day, as well as important historical events and ancient legends.

Each water puppet is hand-carved and given many layers of lacquer paint to protect the puppets from the water and add vital colors to the performance.

A hand made Vietnamese water puppet can weigh up to 30 pounds. So wondering how the puppeteers control the intricate movements blindly part of magic in the water puppet shows.

Great shows of skill include choreographed dances, passing of items, squirting of water, fire or fireworks and many more magical skills that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Thang Long Water Puppet Show Theater Hanoi Vietnam

Overall Review

It’s no wonder why this is a must see attraction in Hanoi, if you’re looking for a magical experience you must check out the Thang Long Puppet Theater in the heart of the historical district.

It’s a little difficult to follow what’s going on in each act as each performance is performed in traditional Vietnamese without any English subtitles.

The concert hall is nice with lots of seats and you can pay extra for an up close experience but be warned you may get wet.  With no more then 60 rows there’s really not a bad seat in the house.

The theater is built for shorter people so if your a taller person you will have a hard time fitting in the seats, as there’s little to no leg room. Like most attractions, you do have to pay more if you want to take any type of photo or video and they were checking peoples tickets at the door is they saw you carrying a camera.

Once inside, grab your seat, sit back, relax and enjoy some first class Vietnamese culture in Hanoi.

Thang Long Water Puppet Show Theater

Puppet Performance Video’s

The videos we captured above were performed on the day we visited the theater in Hanoi and they include 14 original items selected from the repertoire of 400 items of ancient Vietnamese puppetry.

The show also involves the participation of many eminent and excellent artists of the Thang Long Puppet Theater. Art Director: Eminent artist Nguyen Hoang Tuan.

More on Vietnam:

  • 30 Epic Things to do in Vietnam 
  • Simple Guide to Vietnamese Food 
  • Adventure on the High Sea- 3D/2N Halong Bay Cruise
  • How To Choose a Halong Bay Cruise
  • Colors of the Mekong Delta: Photo Essay
  • Imperial City of Hue Vietnam: Photo Essay
  • The Vietnam Snake Man
  • Hue to Hoi An Vietnam Motorbike Adventure 
  • Immersion in the Vietnam War
  • Vietnam’s Great Adventure-The Buffalo Run
  • RTW Recap: 3 Weeks in Vietnam
  • 34 Amazing Southeast Asia Adventure Experiences

Did you like this story? Share it!

Article by David Stock

I have always been an outdoorsman so becoming an adventure traveler was just the next natural step. I love nature, I love to get off the beaten path and I like to explore. I enjoy scuba diving and cars. And yes, Lina and I have a naked dog.

3shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

Trip Planning Resources

TRAVEL GEAR & PACKING
Check out our packing lists and  travel gear guide to ensure you’re bringing the right items on your trip.

BOOK YOUR FLIGHT
Ready to fly? We use Skyscanner to compare prices and book flights. You should also check out our tips for finding cheap flights.

CAR RENTAL
We use Discover Cars to compare car prices, find deals and book rentals.

FIND ACCOMMODATION
Compare prices and book with our custom-built hotel search engine. You should also check out our tips for finding cheap accommodation.

TRY OUT AIRBNB
Get a discount with AirBNB and learn how to maximize your savings with up to $100 in discounts.

PROTECT YOUR TRIP
Don’t forget your travel insurance! Protect your investment and yourself. Read Is Travel Insurance Worth It?

Divergent Travelers - Adventure Travel Blog

Disclosure: In accordance with FTC guidelines, we disclose that we may be compensated if consumers choose to utilize links located throughout the content on this site. Some posts might be sponsored to support this blog.
Divergent Travelers is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Christine says

    June 8, 2018 at 5:39 AM

    I really loved the water puppet show i saw in Ho Chi Minh City. Its amazing they move ao gracefully despite being ao heavy. The traditional aetform is really beautiful and a must see when in vietnam!

    Reply
    • Lina Stock says

      June 10, 2018 at 9:17 AM

      Totally agree it is a cannot miss in Hanoi!

      Reply
  2. Jonty_cakes says

    July 26, 2015 at 1:58 AM

    I agree it is a pleasant experience. I used to live in Hanoi but didn’t go to the water puppet show until I was about to leave. I didn’t regret it. It was of high quality and not too long.

    Reply
  3. Tag Along Deb says

    January 16, 2015 at 9:03 AM

    I adore puppet theatre so this post on your blog caught my eye. How extraordinary! I’ll be in Hanoi this spring so this is now on my list. I may pay to get wet. 😉

    Reply
    • Lina says

      January 17, 2015 at 3:32 AM

      That’s awesome! It is a really great show and worth seeing for a cultural experience. You WILL get wet if you sit in the front. Be sure to buy your tickets a day or two in advance if you want a guarantee front seat. we bought the same day and were able to get front row on the top/cheap section. Still a great view, but the front section was sold to the middle by the time we bought tickets. Have fun in Hanoi, we LOVE that city!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Hello & Welcome to Divergent Travelers

Divergent Travelers - Adventure Travel Blog

We are David & Lina Stock, a married couple from NW Wisconsin who have been traveling together since 2001. We’ve visited nearly 100 countries on all 7 continents. You can learn more about us here.

Looking for something?

Latest Posts

  • What to Do in Kanab, Utah (Attractions, Hiking, Canyons & More)
  • 13 Fabulous Things to Do in Crystal River, FL (Itinerary & Attractions)
  • What To Do in Chiang Mai, Thailand (18 Amazing Attractions, Festivals & Food)
  • How to Plan the Ultimate Alaska Bear Camp Adventure in Lake Clark National Park
  • 24 Amazing Malaysia Attractions You Cannot Miss

Divergent Travelers

About · Blog · Press · Contact
Privacy Policy · Disclosure · Terms

CONNECT WITH US!

© 2021 Copyright · All Rights Reserved · Divergent Travel Media, LLC