Vietnam Participates in International Childrens Festival in Croatia
Vietnamese water puppet shows are held on June 30 and July 1, with the event featuring the daily life of farmers and common aspects of Vietnamese spiritual life. A total of 11 artists from the Vietnam Puppet Theatre are expected to introduce local folk art to the world, with this helping international friends to gain greater understanding of traditional Vietnamese culture. Water puppetry represents a tradition that dates back as far as the 11th century when it originated in the villages of the Red River Delta area of northern Vietnam. The puppets are made out of wood and then lacquered, whilst the shows are performed in a waist-deep pool. A large bamboo rod supports the puppet under the water and is used by the puppeteers, who are normally hidden behind a screen, to control them. This creates the effect of puppets appearing to be moving over the water. This comes from the tradition of when rice fields would flood, villagers would come together to entertain each other by using t...