Thang Long Water Puppet: A Must See in Hanoi

I’ve seen the water puppet show the last time I was here in Hanoi and I felt the urge to see it again. This was the highlight of my last visit to Hanoi and I really enjoyed it a lot.

Thang Long Water Puppet Theater can be found at 57B Dinh Tien Hoang Street (Old Quarter). It’s easy to spot this if you’re near the Hoan Kiem Lake.

The ticket cost around 100,000 Dong for the first class and 60,000 dong for the second class. The first class is nearer than the actual water stage compare to the second class, although for budget conscious travellers like me, sitting in second class did not matter that much. There is additional fee of 20,000 dong for cameras and additional 40,000 Dong for video cameras. Luckily on the last show, no one was charged for bringing their cameras inside the theatre for some reason I don’t know.

The seats offered not much for a leg room and it’s quite tolerable for Asians like me. I could not imagine how uncomfortable it would be for much bigger Caucasians tourist though.

The show offered a glimpse to the wonderful world of Vietnamese Arts. The local music is amazing and the water puppetry act is really something that every Vietnamese can be proud off.

(Rice Planting)

Water puppetry seemed to be very difficult and only the highly skilled puppeteers can do. The puppeteers are soaked in waist deep water (behind the curtain) for the entire production. They animate the wooden puppets through a bamboo connected to each character.

This is a must see for every visitors of Hanoi.

(After the Show)