The 5th International Puppet Festival officially opened in Hanoi on October 8 night with the participation of puppeteers from eight countries, including the host Vietnam.
Tangled Princess, a new production by Thang Long Puppet Theatre,
will be performed at the 5th International Puppet Festival. (Photo:
thanglongwaterpuppet.org)
About 100 puppeteers from Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines,
Thailand, Belgium, France and Brazil traveled to Vietnam for the festival. The
four Vietnamese troupes participating include the Vietnam Puppetry Theatre,
Thang Long Puppetry Theatre, Hai Phong Puppetry Theatre and Ho Chi Minh
Puppetry Theatre.
Tran Huong Duong, Deputy Director of the Performing Arts Department under the
Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said the festival is a chance for
Vietnamese puppeteers to introduce the country’s unique and artistic puppetry
to the international community.
"It also offers Vietnamese puppeteers and art managers a chance to share
their performance and management experience. The international puppetry troupes
will bring new shows to the festival, and local groups will also have a chance
to present new plays,” he said.
There will be various types of shows showcasing the cultural features of the
participating countries including water puppetry, shadow puppetry, rod
puppetry, glove puppetry and mask puppetry.
The Thang Long Water Puppetry Theatre will debut its new production
entitled Cong Chua Toc May (Tangled Princess), which combines three
types of manipulation: water puppetry; rod puppetry and string puppetry. The
45-minute show is co-directed by Nguyen Phuong Nhi and Bach Quoc Khanh and
conveys a message about environment protection.
"The story of the show is about pollution, forest fires and climate
change,” said Nhi. "But characters like the princess, prince and wizard will
entertain young audiences.”
Cong Chua Toc May will be performed at 9:00am on October 9 at 57B Dinh
Tien Hoang Street.
From Une Tribu Collectif of Belgium, Michel Villee and Noemie Vincart will
perform Gaspard, which will feature a man and a woman creating the
illusion of life on stage. The two puppeteers explore a number of different
styles and forms.
Founded in 2014, Une Tribu is a collective comprised of eight artists with
different backgrounds. Gaspard will be performed at 8pm on October 11
at Au Co Theatre, 8 Huynh Thuc Khang Street.
In addition to the main performances in Hanoi, puppetry troupes will also
perform in the northern provinces of Ninh Binh and Vinh Phuc. Their
performances will entertain local people, enhance understanding of Vietnamese
culture among foreign performers and tighten international relationships
through arts.
A workshop entitled Relationship Between Body and Puppet will be held
on October 13 in Hanoi. The festival will wrap up on October 15.
Source: VNA
Hoa Binh province has carried out multiple programmes and initiatives to revive its cultural heritage which has gradually fallen into oblivion through the ebbs and flows of history.
The most prominent and defining feature in the prehistoric era of Hoa Binh is the Hoa Binh Culture. The Culture was first discovered in Hoa Binh. The significant prehistoric culture represents not only Vietnam but also Southeast Asia and southern China. Through excavations of cave sites in the limestone regions of Hoa Binh, French archaeologist M. Colani introduced the world to a "Stone Age in Hoa Binh province – Northern Vietnam" in 1927. On January 30, 1932, the First Congress of Far Eastern Prehistorians, held in Hanoi, officially recognised the Hoa Binh Culture.
Known as the "Land of Epic History”, Hoa Binh province, the gateway to Vietnam’s northwest, boasts a strategic location and a unique cultural tapestry woven by its ethnic minority communities.
The People's Committee of Luong Son District recently held a ceremony to receive the certificate recognizing Sau Communal House in Thanh Cao Commune as a provincial-level historical and cultural site.
Recognising the importance of cultural heritage preservation in protecting and promoting the value system of Vietnamese culture, and serving socio-economic development in the new period, Party committees and local administrations in Hoa Binh province have identified it as a key task in the cultural development strategy. The province has been making efforts in mobilising resources, creating consensus among people and engaging ethnic communities in preserving and promoting cultural identity.
Hoa Binh province has captured growing attention both domestically and internationally for its distinctive cultural heritage and rich history. Most notably, it has been renowned for its famous Hoa Binh culture, considered the cradle of ancient Vietnamese civilisation. Looking ahead to significant milestones in 2025 and the 140th anniversary of province establishment in 2026, Hoa Binh Newspaper presents a comprehensive overview of the province's development across economic, social, cultural, tourism, and security domains.
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