“Teu” has the love of many generations of Vietnamese people and has become a symbol of water puppetry. The unique feature of Vietnam’s water puppetry is its stage. Water stages are usually built on small pool, and resemble a temple with a split-bamboo screen.ĭiffer from other kinds of puppetry in the world that perform on ground stage, Vietnam’s water puppetry is performed on water stage. Puppeteers stand all behind the screen and control puppets performing a play or a dance through a long string mechanism under water surface. To do this work, puppeteers have to stand in cold water for hours. To assist puppeteers in puppetry performance, there is an orchestra which plays traditional instruments such as vocals, drums, wooden bells, cymbals, horns, erhu (Chinese two-stringed fiddle), and bamboo flutes. Exciting background music combined with amazing stage of living puppets and colorful flags bring audience a bustling ambiance of traditional festival in the country.

Vietnam’s water puppetry is a notable form of art performance in Vietnam and has been widely introduced to international community. The arrival of three other mythical creatures, the unicorn, phoenix and tortoise, represent qualities required for village dwellers to preserve prosperity and good health. It now is nominated to be a UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage. The story is as informative as it is heartwarming.

Vietnamese water puppetry dsymbolism