Puppet Show

Listed as a major tourist attraction in Vietnam, the infamous Water Puppet Show truly is a must. We chanced upon the theater at 18:58 when the show was set to start at 19:00 and the 3 of us got the last tickets; one of those truly perfect timing destiny type moments. We had no idea what to expect but even if we had expectations it literally blew them out of the water.

The small red velvet seated theater had a murky dark green pool of water as the stage making an already unique setting. Two women sat to the left of the stage singing and playing live music while narrating the stories before each act with a translation screen behind them. Each act represented various aspects of Vietnamese culture from Indian influence to traditional tribal courtship dances.

The first scene was a dragon and a phoenix fighting but then breeding to create eggs containing man, which in itself amazed. A wall of water fell from the ceiling as the string less puppets on underwater sticks moved majestically through the water act after act. The audience packed with foreigners including ourselves, were left in laughter, curiosity and awe. The puppets although unrealistic in appearance still moved in lifelike harmony.

At the end of the show in the last act all the puppeteers emerged from the waters doing a final performance alongside their puppets. The entire one hour experience for only $5 was an absolutely phenomenal experience. The perfect way to end a trip to Hanoi, being both entertaining and culturally moving!