Village water puppets steal the show

      A small village, just 90km from the capital, is famous nationwide for its three centuries of experience in the trade of crafting traditional water puppet performances.
Fireworks explode with a bang and two dragons snake through the water, flames spouting from their jaws. Next comes a procession of mandarins on horseback, splashing past a group of children ooh-ing and aah-ing in unison.
Mythical creatures, a frantic boat race, farmers chasing water snakes – it’s just another day in Hong Phong Village, about 90km northeast from Ha Noi in Ninh Giang District, Hai Duong Province – home to an
award winning water puppet guild.
Water puppetry, known as the soul of rice fields, has been part of the Vietnamese consciousness for centuries. Then, as now, the shows recounts tales of ancient folklore, as well as daily life in the fields.
The idea is said to have been inspired by the annual flooding of the Hong (Red) River Delta, when religious statues floating out of the temples gave villagers the idea of creating a new form of entertainment during the wet season. Villagers would gather for shows during special festivals or after the harvest
in provinces around Ha Noi.
There is evidence in from the last three centuries that shows water puppetry was performed in thuy dinh, a two-storey village hall where the top floor was used for worship, and the lower floor for performances.
Water puppetry reached its peak during the Ly Dynasty (1009-1225), when a show was performed for royalty in 1121 to honour King Ly Nhan Tong (1066-1127).
Heart and soul
Although there are several venues for tourists to watch water puppet shows in the big smoke, there is nothing quite like seeing a performance in the heart of the countryside. And there was no better place, I discovered, than Hong Phong.
There was no avoiding a big fuss when I arrived at the village. I was instantly encircled by a flock of boisterous children. Striding towards us was a man, who announced himself as Nguyen Xuan Chiem, chief of Hong Phong Water Puppetry Guild and a sixth-generation puppet artist.
I was led to a courtyard where to my surprise large lanterns were being lit and jettisoned into the blue sky. Each one carried a different message to the gods, to pray for prosperity, happiness and long life.
From the courtyard, I walked the short distance to Thuy Dinh Pond, which marks the centre of the village. In the middle of the pond is a small stage erected on pillars, the performers hidden behind a bamboo screen chest-deep in water. By the time I got there, the whole village seemed to have gathered around the auditorium to see the show.
Water world
There’s a reason why water puppetry is so special in Hong Phong, which defines itself with its 300-year-old puppet guild. Viet Nam may be undergoing rampant development, but Hong Phong still keeps an untouched peaceful beauty for itself.
Mr Vu Van Doan, who is now 72 years old, has decades of experience in water puppet theatre.
"The origins of water puppetry here are pretty vague," he says. "No one knows how the art came here. Based on the figures of Little Teu puppets carved exquisitely in the village’s communal house, which is also the worship place of Feudal General Cao Xuan Huu, a mandarin in the late period of Le Dynasty, we can prove water puppetry existed here before the 18th century."
The actual performance is 45 minutes long and includes several acts with different puppets and special effects. All the while, musicians play traditional tunes on cymbals and other instruments, livening up the comedy and the drama.
While all the action is going on, the puppeteers remain hidden from view for the entire performance, skilfully manoeuvring their puppets with a series of underwater strings and pulleys.
It wasn’t until the final crash of symbols heralded the end of the show, that the bamboo screen was lifted to reveal the puppeteers who invited me backstage to see how everything works.
All in all it was a magical experience and not merely because of the performance. The real joy was seeing the show with its original setting, surrounded by hundreds of happy smiling locals and visitors.
Work of art
It may all seem effortless, but a lot of time and work goes into producing these performances. Both the puppets and the storylines have to be crafted with exquisite care, Chiem says.
"Setting up the theatre also takes a long time," he says.
"You have to drive in the stakes, spread the strings, and make different puppets to suit each particular tale. This requires a lot of patience and passion."
But the hard work has paid off, Chiem says.
"Tourism over the last few years has helped us all to lead a fairly good life. But the best thing is the fact that water puppetry is still cared for and studied. Thousands of tourists come to Hong Phong guild every year. This is, of course, good motivation for the guild to continue developing water puppetry."
Chiem says water puppetry catches people’s attention, because it is set entirely in the countryside. People get to see a panorama of rice paddies, bamboo forests, fish ponds, banyan trees and villagers."
Visitor from southern Kien Giang Province, Pham Duc Tu, agrees.
"It’s really enchanting to see these rustic scenes played out to the beating of drums and gongs," he says.
"There is splendid creativity in the way the puppets are designed to move in the water, while all the apparatus is hidden from view. Water gives breath to the puppets and makes them look more lively and cheerful."
Hong Phong’s prowess in water puppetry has already reaped rewards. In 1994, the puppet guild won one gold and two silver medals when competing in the National Water Puppetry Festival in Ha Noi. The guild was also given certificates of merit by UNIMAR Viet Nam as well as Hai Duong’s Department of Culture and Information.
Now the village has become a tourist attraction, with performances held almost every day. Tour companies nationwide have signed contracts with the village, including Mien A Dong, Vietnamtourist, Phuong Hong, and Quang Tri. On average, the guild performs 40 shows per month. In 2008, it clocked in over 4,000 tourists.
Young blood
Although the art has been revived in the commune and is going strong, Chiem says he still fears for the future.
"Our 21-troupe members are all old, the youngest is 45 years old and the oldest is 72.
"For many local young men, there’s not much to do here and working as water puppeteers does not promise much in financial returns."
Most young people head to the big cities to make a living for themselves, he says.
"The problem we face is how to preserve puppetry that has been passed down from our ancestors, when we have one foot in the grave."
Despite his bright smile, guild performer Bui Van Thuc, 71, says he is also worried about the future.
"Many performers cannot make ends meet on puppetry alone," Thuc says. "We do it for love, not for money."
The commune may have become a bustling tourist attraction, but water puppetry is still being seen by some as losing its cultural standing as conventional performances eclipse innovative shows created by amateur groups.
"Some say the demand for water puppetry is growing, but I think on the whole, its popularity is decreasing," says Vu Ho Phuong, head of Hong Phong Village.
"At the moment, only two professional troupes, including the Central Puppetry Theatre and the Thang Long Water Puppetry Troupe, perform for urban audiences, and those are mostly tourists," Phuong says.
"We need to promote water puppetry nationwide to motivate artists and encourage them to preserve their family’s secret techniques in puppetry. We really need the support of the Government," he says.
As the final cymbal crashes and the puppeteers come out from their bamboo screen, they are met with rapturous claps, woops and beaming faces from the audience.
This, above all else, is what fuels artists to keep working in puppet theatre, says Chiem.
"The enthusiastic and warm applause gives us a faith in the future of puppetry. When we think of their appreciation, we feel really happy," he says.
How to get there
From Ha Noi, going northeast on highway 1 to Hai Duong City, about 55km to May Su crossroads, then turn right, going 18km to Tu Ky township, turn right to Road 37, going 6km to reach the signpost "Way to Stork Island", then turn right, drive 5.5km then you get Hong Phong Village.