THANG LONG WATER PUPPET THEATRE

Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre is located at Dinh Tien Hoang street, nearby ancient Hoan Kiem lake, in the centre of Hanoi Capital. From the Theatre, spending several minutes of walking, visitors may do sightseeing and discover simultaneously many famous landscapes and cultural historical relics in Hanoi Capital, such as Ngoc Son Temple, Ly Thai To Park, Hanoi Opera House – August Revolution Square, Temple of Literature, Hanoi Old Square, Museum of Vietnamese History, Vietnamese Women’s Museum, Hoa Lo Prison…; and pleasurably walk, do shopping and enjoy foods at trade centers such as: Trang Tien, Dong Xuan market, Hang Ngang street, Hang Dao street, Hanoi night market, Thong Nhat Park…

It is said that Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre is the ideal cultural place for visitors. It offers the “unique” water puppet program which is the extremely attractive spiritual “speciality”. For many last years, the brand name Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre has been known as an exploit which possesses a specially “uncanny” attraction, becomes a destination which is fonded of by many domestic and foreign visitors and  tourists.

The Theatre was established on October 1969 under the investment and guidance of Hanoi City People’s Committee and Department of Culture- Sport and Tourism. After nearly a half-century of formation and development, from an art troupe of 9 actors and actresses who graduated from Hanoi College of Art; now the Theatre has owned two troupes and functional divisions and sections, a personnel force of officers, artists, puppeteers, technicians… who have been under full-time training courses, highly qualified, active, creative, fully enthusiastic. They may undertake many parts with many styles of performance… keeping pace with international puppeteers. Many of them have held such positions as managers, authors, stage directors or activists…

From the art troupe of which infrastructure was poor, only offered programs of land become the leading brand name of Vietnamese water puppetry, being the unique theatre in Vietnam holding the Asian record for “being the only theatre in Asia that performs water puppetry all 365 days of the year”. The Theatre has taken successfully on tour in more than 40 countries in the world, from Asia to Europe, America, Australia… As a socialized art unit, the Theathre has and will continually complete well the tasks uppetry; by now, the Theatre has formed its own playhouse for water puppetry with modern equipment and facilities to satisfy with demands of all audiences. The playhouse has 300 seats; airy and cool in summer and cosy in winter. The distinction of Thang Long Water Puppet Threatre is to create its own way. The Theatre has always placed the national and traditional factors first, paid attention to the development under guideline of inheritance without imitation. The Theatre has gradually recovered and renewed the old folk-tales and legends to add the performances. As the professional art unit specialized in water puppetry, the Theatre has successfully set up some outstanding programs, plays and pieces which attract the interest in by domestic and foreign audiences. With its best efforts, the Theatre has been awarded many significant prizes in domestic and international water puppet festivals. Many artists have been conferred upon noble titles such as People’s Artist, Meritorious Artist… More than the last 20 years, Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre, Hanoi has always been the red address which attracts audiences for 365 days/year. There are often 5-7 shows everyday to satisfy with demands of audiences.   The Theatre has of preservation, maintenance and development of the traditional water puppetry; confirm-reinforce its brand name; contribute significant part to the advertisement and speed up the cultural and art exchange and cooperation in the world.  Together with the reform of country, the water puppetry – Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre has really renovated its quantity and quality. The appearance of plays with various forms and types has contributed to respect Vietnamese water puppetry, deserving to be Vietnamse cultural quintessence. The Theatre has always exploited, created and developed continually the stage design under the model of traditional water puppet stage in combination with modern audiovisual devices and professional personnel force.  With the available strength of the art unit, Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre is always one of the most attractive destinations in Hanoi. It is expected to welcome domestic and foreign visitors to visit more and discover natural beauty and profound meanings of Vietnamese water puppetry.

There are 5 available shows/day weekly at: 15h00, 16h10, 17h20, 18h30, 20h00. The Theatre always welcomes and is ready to receive any contribution ideas to satisfy the best the demands of audiences.

Source: Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre