Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre: The Highlight of Hanoi Tourism

Being known as the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre, the place has become an indispensable culture center of Hanoi, Vietnam. Water puppet is an outstanding and unique intangible culture of Vietnam.

The Thang Long Theatre has been doing a great job of preserving and performing this type of art throughout the years, therefore the place is a remarkable spot culture of Hanoi, Vietnam.

I. Highlights of the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre in Hanoi

Water puppet is one of the most outstanding cultures of Vietnam, attracting the attention of many people around the world. The Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre is among the few places that still reserve and perform this type of art.

1. Long-term history

The Water Puppet Theatre in Hanoi may be considered one of the oldest architectural structures in Hanoi, Vietnam. In 2019, the Hanoi City People’s Committee had arranged a huge anniversary to celebrate the 50th year of operating the Water Puppet Theatre. 

• The place had been opened on the 10th of October, 1969. At first, the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre was named the Kim Dong Artistic Union with only 9 people.
• In 1975, the place was named Hanoi Puppet Union.
• In 1990 that the theatre started to build its water stage for the water puppet show. At that time, the theatre had been through many hardships due to the consequences of the war.
• In 1992, they first-time performed by the theatre in a foreign country, Japan to be more specific.
• In 1993, the theatre moved to its current location on Dinh Tien Hoang Street with the name.

The theatre has performed in more than 40 foreign countries as well as taken part in numerous international festivals, helping to promote Vietnamese water puppet to the world.

2. Special Location

Located on the Dinh Tien Hoang Street, the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre lies in the center of Hanoi. Travelers often combine sightseeing at Hoan Kiem Lake with watching water puppet shows at the theatre. 

If you walk on Dinh Tien Hoang Street, you will be able to notice the theatre very easily, not only because the building lies right at the front of the street but also because it has 3 floors. That is one of the small reasons why the theatre was known and loved by many foreign people.

3. Preserve the intangible cultural of Vietnam

Water puppet is one of the symbols of intangible cultural in Vietnam, but due to the increasing development of technology, such traditions are not popular anymore among young generation.

The Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre take it as their responsibility to preserve and promote this unique type of art, in order to make sure that the Vietnamese tradition will develope.

In recent years, the theater has restored 17 ancient folk water puppets tricks, plays and traditions to create an artistic breakthrough nationwide.

Thanks to the theatre’s effort, more and more international people know about water puppet – the one of a kind art of Vietnam. The Thang Long water puppet theatre has received lots of honored medals and prizes for its attempt.

4. Perform with live music

Every stage needs music and background sounds to support the performance, helping audiences to understand the feeling and meaning of the show. Most theatres often record music in advance to display.

However, the staff in Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre perform with live music that is pulled off by a professional band. The music band performs in Thang Long theatre not only can perform folk music but also can perform Western music, which is very helpful in international events.

II. The Hanoi Water Puppet Show

The Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre holds shows almost every day of the week. There are usually around 5 or 6 shows a day. The schedule is updated every week on the official website of the theatre. Each show lasts for about 1 hour, which is enough for tourists to be immersed in the Vietnamese culture.

During the time around holidays such as Christmas, New Year or other fiestas of Vietnam, the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre often holds special events and shows to celebrate these occasions.

The water puppet shows are performed by a group of talented elite artists, who have gained such fame and recognition with their phenomenal skills. The puppet exist in every scenes, while artists control and voiceover for them behind the curtain.

Not only acts and perform Vietnamese traditional plays, such as Truong Ba’s Soul in the Butcher’s Body, Children of Dragon, etc, but the theatre also creates new plays based on the Western culture such as Ballet and more.

III. What to See & Do in the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre?

1. Learn about Vietnamese water puppet and culture

The puppet show is very popular in most countries, but not many people know that the water puppet is the kind of art that only appears in Vietnam. Coming to see a water puppet show is to understand more about the culture and traditions of the Vietnamese.

Each play performed on the stage is a legend or a story that tells the heroic history and the colorful customs of the S-shaped country. Water puppet helps foreign people to know more about Vietnam, as well as help them to learn more about the Asian civilization.

Tourists can learn about the traditional culture of the country Vietnam. In addition, they also get the chance to review Vietnamese folk tales through the new perspective of water puppet art.

After a 1-hour play, the audiences will be able to differentiate between the water puppet and the normal puppet show. Virtuoso technique of manipulating water puppets will surely impress international travelers. The shows also help them feel the peaceful beauty of the countryside of Vietnam.

2. Sit down at the cafe of the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre

The Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre was located on Dinh Tien Hoang Street – the street that covers around the famous Hoan Kiem Lake of Hanoi with the remarkable Turtle Tower.

After enjoying a show, audiences can sit down and enjoy a delicious drink at the cafe on the first floor of the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre. The cafe has a modern Western-style, serves all kinds of delicious coffees and drinks, as well as savory and snacks.

The landscapes of Hoan Kiem Lake is absolutely worth visiting. So it will be an unforgettable experience to travel around the Dinh Tien Hoang street after enjoying a water puppet show at Thang Long theatre.

IV. How to Get to the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre?

The Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre is located on Dinh Tien Hoang Street, where numerous bus routes pass by. You can hop on buses number 08, 09, 14, 31, 36, 86 and get down at Dinh Tien Hoang Street, then walk to the theatre. 

Taxis are the fastest means of transportation to arrive at the Thang Long theatre, although it may cost more money than other ones. In Hanoi, it is also easy to find a motorbike renting a place. If you want to try finding ways around the capital of Vietnam on your own, this will be the perfect option. 

Remember that during weekends, all transportations will be forbidden to come into Dinh Tien Hoang Street. On these days, whichever transportations you go by, you will have to stop outside the street, get out of your vehicle and walk on foot. 

V. Tips on Visiting the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre

• Consider carefully when choosing seats. The front seats which are near the stage will give you a better chance to closely watch the puppets. However, due to the water stage, audiences that sit near may get splashed on from time to time.
• Check the schedule before watching. The schedule of the shows will be updated regularly on the official website of the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre. Some shows will have English subtitles for foreign audiences.
• Extra fees for cameras. If you want to take pictures during the show, you will have to pay an extra fee of 20.000 VND, and 60.000 VND for filming.
• Sunday is a perfect day to come to Thang Long theatre. On Sunday, the Thang Long theatre often holds more shows than other days of the week. But on weekends there will be more audiences at the theatre, so you should arrive early to take great seats.
• Buy tickets early. Due to the rules of the Thang Long theatre, one must have their ticket at least 30 minutes before the show starts. 

VI. FAQs about Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre

Water puppet is one of the most remarkable cultures of Vietnam, and Thang Long theatre is the most famous place in the field of preserving this wonderful art.

Coming to Hanoi, Vietnam, don’t miss the chance of watching and learning about this one of a kind type of performing, because the water puppet is only available in Vietnam. Not only experience something unique but you will also learn so much more about the customs and tradition of Vietnam.