Historical testimonies demonstrate that water puppet performances happened before the Royal Court at the onset of the 11th century, at which time it was already well structured. It is therefore assumed that prior to that period, this type of entertainment had previously been in widespread use in the villages.

The Thang Long Water Pupper Theater boasts a famous troupe of puppeteers that has been all over the world. The "action" takes place on a water stage, whereby various puppets are introduced to recreate Vietnamese rural life and its dependence on the agricultural cycle. We witness mythical figures, like dragons, expertly dancing and plunging in and out of the murky water; basket boats appear with their load to transport food from one place to another. There are children at play and ducks lined up in a row doing their own dance on the water.

The majority of rice farmers’ rituals are always manifest by the fixation of an awful harvest: thus, the ritual invocation of rain was particularly important. Water would always play a major part: washing of the pagodas with water and ablution of the Buddha statues and scholars, bathing the elders, releasing of fish and other marine animals, swimming competitions, and water puppets…

The actual theater is a very unassuming structure, which we almost missed, as in this particular instance, our taxi driver was not quite certain as to where he was heading. It’s on the right hand side of Dinh Tien Hoang Street, and a long and narrow tower bears the inscription of the theater’s name. You cannot assume that you will get seats for the next performance: as in the old days, seats are assigned and adhered to quite strictly. You may choose from first-class seats for VND40, 000 (about US$2.55) or second-class seats for VND20, 000 (about US$1.25). The first class-section was sold out until the following night, so we purchased advanced tickets.

No one is permitted to enter the upper level of the theater until everyone from the previous show has left. The theater is not that large, so if you have purchased second-class tickets, you can still get a fairly good view of what is going on. They have an introduction in English, French, and Vietnamese; lights are dimmed and the musicians and singers on the side of the stage begin to chant, actually recounting a story. Most of the instruments are percussion, which produce more grandiose and extraordinary sounds – large drums, cymbals, castagnettes, rattles… and let’s not forget the fireworks for the grand finale.

The puppets themselves are quite comical in appearance, and one can purchase from shops in the area those puppets that have been retired in favor of newer models. The protagonist here is Teu, the farmer, who is somewhat of a buffoon.

The performances focus on images of traditional Vietnamese lifestyles, local legends, and sacred creatures. For example, there is one called Catching Frogs that is quite comical. I felt a tear in my eye at the beauty of Agriculture. Another performance was about the homecoming of a son that had been away from the village.

As you watch the varied performances, you hear Vietnamese classical music. The performers are visible on the side of the stage, and were the subject of many photographs. Vietnamese classical music isn't my favorite form of music, but you do get a soundtrack CD if you buy the most expensive tickets (around 4$).

The other feature of buying a $4 ticket is the opportunity to wait in an air-conditioned room before the performance.

Cameras are permitted for an additional fee. Yes, you can take flash photography. However, I think it is quite rude to use flash because it distracts the rest of the audience and ruins the effect of the show. Rather, I would take some very fast film and steady your camera on the seat in front of you. The camera fee is US$1 or US$5 for a camcorder.

The stage is a waist deep pool of water that is kept muddy in order to conceal the workings of the puppets. The puppeteers stand behind a split bamboo screen while the puppets take center stage on the end of long poles. These are fully articulated puppets of people, dragons (complete with pyrotechnic breath), lions, unicorns and frogs. They engage in scenes of Vietnamese daily life such as rice harvesting and fishing as well as retelling Vietnamese legends such as the story of Le Loi and the shining sword which is actually set on the Ho Hoan Kiem just outside before building up to the big finale the dance of the four holy animals.

This is all set to traditional Vietnamese music played flutes, drums, gongs, xylophones and dan bau a traditional single-stringed zither. The music sets the pace and the puppets gracefully follow easily overcoming the language barrier as you follow them through their whimsical performances from the slapstick Rearing Ducks And Catching Foxes to the spectacular Dance Of The Phoenix complete with enough fireworks to make New Year's Day look a bust. This is a rare combination of the naive Vietnamese art forms that has toured the world to great acclaim and it is easy to see why.

The puppets themselves are masterful pieces of art carved from the water-proof wood of the fig-tree and painted with vegetable based pigments by local craftsmen. Replicas of these are available from stalls and shops all over the old quarter and make wonderful souvenirs. One such replica sits on my desk as a type this, a tubby little gentleman who rings a bell and waves a fan when operated. The shop-owner who sold it to me had the audacity to compare the puppet's ample gut to my own, but even this insult couldn't take away my love of this unmissable spectacle.