Visitors to Vietnam should take the opportunity to watch the captivating Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre which may be witnessed in the city of Hanoi. Corporate travellers to this city desiring Hanoi business accommodation will find an excellent choice in the Somerset Hoa Binh Hanoi. This appealing rest offers well-appointed interiors and a selection of contemporary amenities.
This renowned and unique form of entertainment known as Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre is the result of a long and illustrious history with its origins in a form of art that originated in the 11th century. This form of puppetry is thought to have roots in rural communities where in the rainy season, rice paddy fields would become flooded. Local villagers would create puppetry shows to entertain themselves, manipulating the puppets whilst standing in waist-high water.
Today during water puppetry shows the puppeteers remain concealed behind a large screen, employing long rods to manipulate the puppets so that they seem to move across the surface of the water. This form of entertainment has now achieved renown and recognition around the world, but there is nothing quite like the spectacle of watching a performance of this art form in its place of origin, Northern Vietnam.
These performances are staged to the accompaniment of a traditional Vietnamese orchestra making time-honoured forms of music employing such instruments as wooden bells, drums, bamboo flutes, cymbals and horns. Another feature is the typically operatic Vietnamese songs which recount the tale that is being performed by the puppets. The principle themes of the shows are typical Vietnamese legends and folk tales. A popular topic is the celebration of the harvest, and humour is liberally used to entertain spectators. An intriguing feature is the background singers offering words of support to the puppets acting out the story. A water puppet show never fails to amuse and entertain.
Uditha Dharmawardhane is a travel writer who writes under the pen name Roland Lefevre. He specializes in creating features on leisure as well as business travel destinations across the globe. Google+
