Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theatre

The
Golden Dragon
Water Puppet Theatre
of Saigon
Study Guide for Teachers
ABOUT THE STUDY GUIDE
Dear Teachers:
We hope you will find this Study Guide helpful in preparing your students for what they
will see and hear at the Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theatre performance. The Golden
Dragon Water Puppet Theatre educational shows, which are specially designed for
student audiences, promise to amaze young and old with the ancient art of puppetry on
water. Throughout the Study Guide you will find topics for discussion, links to resources
and activities to help facilitate a deeper understanding of not only Water Puppetry, but
also of Vietnamese geography, history and culture.
STUDY GUIDE INDEX
I. ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE
a. Being in the Audience
b. Overview
c. The Vignettes
d. Staging
e. The Company
II. ABOUT VIETNAM
a. Geography
b. History
c. Culture
III. ABOUT PUPPETRY
a. Puppets and Water Puppetry
IV. TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION AND ACTIVITIES
a. Before the Performance
b. After the Performance
c. Other Resources
Section I
ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE
Being in the Audience
When you enter the theater, you enter a magical space, charged, full of energy and
anticipation. Audiences interact with performances in many different ways, depending
upon the art form and the culture(s) of the performers and the audience alike.
At a Water Puppet theatre performance, like at other performances, it is expected that
the audience will show respect for the performers by watching and listening attentively.
The performers on stage show respect for their art form and for the audience by doing
their very best work, so it is important not to do anything to distract fellow audience
members or in any way interrupt the flow of the performance.
However, this is a Water Puppet performance, and that means something special! While
the audience at a traditional ballet performance may sit quietly, audience interaction at
a Water Puppet performance is encouraged. Audience members are encouraged to
laugh if the action on stage is funny, cry if the action is sad, or sigh if something
beautiful is seen or heard.
As always, applause is the best way for audience members to share their enthusiasm
and to show their appreciation for the performers. Please applaud at the end of each
performance!
Adults and children alike respond vociferously throughout
water puppet performances in Vietnam, applauding wildly
for their favorite segments or for particularly difficult
gestures, and booing the bad guys . Please, encourage your
students to react vigorously, which will help the
performers feel at home .
You may want to discuss with students that, while formal
performance demeanor in the West is usually more
restrained, this performance is an occasion where vocal
response will be welcome.
- Avril Helbig, Producer
Overview
Water puppetry (Múa rối nước) is a unique artistic tradition first practiced in 11th
century along the Red River Delta of northern Vietnam. It is the signature art form of
Vietnam, and is a traditional type of puppetry practiced nowhere else in the world.
The artistic approach, iterating Vietnamese culture, is deeply rooted in tradition yet
retains a certain playfulness, pragmatism and liveliness unique to Vietnam but easily
understood by all. Musicians and singers paint vignettes of the essential activities of
Vietnamese life while also portraying the magic and depth of Vietnamese folklore:
stories of the harvest, of fishing, of festivals and of the enchanted, holy animals that live
among the people of Vietnam.
The musicianship of the Vietnamese orchestra, including vocals, drums, wooden bells,
cymbals, horns, Đà ầu, gongs, and bamboo flutes, is superb. The bamboo flute's clear,
simple notes may signify the entrance of a royal character while drums and cymbals may
loudly announce a fire-breathing dragon.
Performers of chèo (a form of opera originating in north Vietnam) provide virtuoso
narrative. Musicians and puppets interact during the performance. Singers may yell a
word of warning to a puppet in danger or a word of encouragement to a puppet in
need.
On this visit to North America, the eleven puppeteers and five musicians of the Golden
Dragon Water Puppet Theater will present some new pieces and some traditional
favorites. All are vignettes that appeal to young audiences through humor and narrative
liveliness and highlight the puppeteers' spectacular talents at manipulation. The
company will select from the repertoire on the following pages.
Resources
ilove-vietnam.blogspot.ca/2012/05/water-puppet.html#.VEFM7uceLbs
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%BAa_r%E1%BB%91i_n%C6%B0%E1%BB%9Bc
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%90%C3%A0n_b%E1%BA%A7u
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A8o
The Vignettes
Introduction and Raising the Flags with Uncle Tễu
The surface of a quiet pool bubbles to life as Uncle Tễu ascends to the stage. Uncle Tễu
is a young, jovial farmer, poor but honest, and supported by Buddha and the gods.
Throughout the program, Uncle Tễu acts as narrator and often-irreverent commentator.
Firecrackers stimulate the senses as they fill the air with sound, flags are raised, colours
and lights are reflected dance in
reflection on the surface of the
water, and wisps of smoke vary
the atmosphere as this amazing
journey begins.
Through Uncle Tễu, audiences see
a character recurrent in traditional
Vietnamese opera, such as chèo or
hát tuồng. These characters act ask
a sort of moral compass for the
audience, making use of their
lowly social status to mock bad
habits in society and to protect
justice and the poor.
In folk performances, Uncle Tễu often wittily gives extempore stories about the village.
In producing their puppets, Vietnamese artisans always try to depict the original spirit
and features of the loveable Uncle Tễu.
Dragons: The Soul of the Vietnamese
One of the most colorful and spectacular scenes in water puppetry feature the
performance of dragons. There are a number of vignettes featuring dragons in the water
puppet oeuvre: dragons playing together, dragons playing with a ball, dragon spurting
fire and so on. How is water spurted out from dragons with multi-sectioned bodies?
How can fireworks be set off when the puppets dragons are in the water? These are just
two of the wonderful secrets from the hundred-year experience of Vietnamese water
puppetry.
Imposing yet friendly, Vietnamese dragons symbolize the power of justice, nobility and
authority. They are considered powerful gods ruling the sky. Dragons often came to
earth, making rain during droughts or spurting fire to kill invaders. Hanoi was once
a ed Thă g Lo g (the Hol La d of Risi g Dragons). The Mekong River divides into
nine branches in Vietnam and is called the River of Nine Dragons. Dragons are a symbol
of high power in Vietnam, so only Emperors and Kings could use costumes embroidered
with their likeness.
A Tranquil Childhood
One's heart seems softened by tranquil scenes of a boy sitting on the back of his buffalo
playing flute and children swimming in the water. A Vietnamese folk song says: "Who
dares to say that raising buffaloes is a hard work. No, it is very happy!" These scenes
demonstrate the connection the rural Vietnamese have with nature, and also
demonstrate the skill of the puppeteers.
The swi
ers’ arms and legs move in the water and the body goes up and down. The
puppets look so happy, carefree and funny that even real-life children or animated
characters cannot imitate them. Viewers wonder how it’s possi le for the puppets can
swim so effortlessly, and the scene in which a swimmer suddenly jumps onto the head
of another boy is an elaborate prestidigitation.
For the Vietnamese farmer, buffaloes are the major source of power and the most
valuable animal because they are hardworking and loyal. This close relationship is
depicted in Mùa Len Trâu (The Buffalo Boy), a Vietnamese movie that won dozens of
awards at international film festivals. Buffaloes also symbolize strength and bravery.
Daily Life in Rural Villages
Scenes of farmers working in the fields during the harvest and fishing show what life
was like – and in some places still is – in rural Vietnam. Planting and milling rice,
throwing fishing nets into the water, using a rod to fish. These are common themes. In
one amusing vignette, a husband and wife are trying to protect their flock of ducks from
a cat. Will the cat catch one? The characters sing while they go about their lives.
For thousands of years, the Vietnamese have lived by farming and fishing. Their most
important chore is to cultivate wet rice. First, farmers plough and rake their fields with
buffaloes. Then, water is channeled to flood the fields. Then rice seeds are sowed
throughout the fields. When young seedlings grow, farmers pluck and transplant them
to the main field. During the harvest, ripe rice is cut and carried home. Watch carefully
to see many of these stages of rice cultivation performed by the puppets.
Out of cultivating times, water fields are the main area where peasants earning their
livelihood by raising ducks and catching fish and frogs. The rural artists have brought all
these activities to the water stage as attractive items.
Water puppeteers not only adopted their daily work as main themes but also gave them
a peaceful ambiance and a beautiful tempo of life through singing and dancing. It was in
such a happy life that the ancestral generations formed different layers of their folk
culture. Among all forms of arts, only water puppetry can depict the folk soul in such a
nice, accurate and expressive way.
Heroic Legends
The Vietnamese respect their long history, and a number of vignettes tell stories of
Vietnam's history and its heroes. Among the most wonderful is The Legend of the
Returned Sword.
Of the many legends and stories told about Le Loi, the most famous
concerns his magical sword. Similar to King Arthur and his sword
Excalibur, Le Loi was said to have a sword of great power. The legend
tells that the blade of the sword, inscribed with the words The Will of
(eaven Thuan Thien , came from the Dragon King in his underwater
palace. A fisherman, who later joined Le Loi s army, caught the blade of
the sword in his net. The hilt was found by Le Loi himself in a banyan
tree. The stories claim Le Loi grew very tall when he used the sword and
that it gave him the strength of many men.
The story relates how one day, not long after the Chinese had accepted
Vietnam as an independent country, Le Loi was out boating on the
Green Water Lake (Luc Thuy). Suddenly a large turtle surfaced, took the
sword from Le Loi s belt, and dived back into the depths, carrying the
glowing sword in his mouth. Efforts were made to find both the sword
and the turtle but without success. Le Loi then acknowledged that the
sword had gone back to the Dragon King with the Golden Turtle (Kim
Quy , and he renamed the lake The Lake of the Returned Sword (oan
Kiem Lake).
- The Vietnam News Agency (2009)
The puppeteers show extraordinary control in this scene as swimming tortoise to open
its mouth and snatch the sword in the King's hands. Then it must disappear in the water,
carrying the sword in its mouth. This performing item praises a national hero and retells
a mysterious legend while displaying original techniques of water puppetry.
Some hundred-year-old tortoises are now living in Hoàn Kiếm Lake at the center of
Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam. A small tower in the middle of the lake is named Tháp
Rùa (Tower of Tortoises) and is considered one of the symbols of Hanoi. In the Ngọc Sơn
Temple on an islet of the lake there remains the mummy of a huge tortoise over 2
meters i le gth. Opposite to the te ple is the Thă g Lo g Water Puppet Theater
where many water puppet shows are shown to foreign tourists daily.
The Dance of the Four Holy Beasts
In addition to scenes showing villagers and others going about their lives, animal dances
will delight the audience. One of the most special is the dance of the Four Holy Beasts:
Long (Dragons), Phuong (Phoenixes), Ky Lan (Unicorns) and Quy (Tortoises). Here are
some of the more famous and traditional vignettes:

Two lions fight each other for a colorful and magical ball. The fight is like a
graceful dance performed with musical accompaniment.

Two phoenixes, male and female, swim peacefully in happiness. It is hoped that
the love of every human couple will resemble that of the phoenixes, everlasting.

This is a dance performed during the Mid-Autumn Festival in every Vietnamese
village. It is danced in the open air under the full moon of the eighth lunar
month.
Resources
vietnamnow.org/xem-tin-tuc/uncle-teu-default.html
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C3%A8o
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%A1t_tu%E1%BB%93ng
www.vietnam-culture.com/articles-221-34/Tale-of-Vietnamese-Dragon.aspx
www.imdb.com/title/tt0381074/
en.hanoi.vietnamplus.vn/Home/The-legend-of-Hoan-Kiem-Lake/20099/220.vnplus
www.wordhcmc.com/features/the-big-story/the-four-holy-beasts
Staging
Water puppet theatre differs from other
puppet theatre forms because it takes place
on water. Originally, water puppetry was
performed inside rice paddies where
puppeteers stood waist deep in water hidden
behind bamboo pagodas. The water acted as a
stage for the puppets, hid the mechanics of
the puppets, and is an essential part of the
acoustics and lighting.
Today, water puppetry is usually performed in
a pool of water that is four meters squared.
Water puppetry can be performed on
traditional ponds, portable tanks or within
specialized buildings with a permanent pools
and stages have been constructed.
Puppeteers stand behind bamboo screens
constructed to resemble a temple facade and
the puppets can enter from either side of the
stage or emerge from the murky depths of the
water. Musicians and singers sit on either side
of the stage and interact with the puppets
throughout the performance. Spotlights are
reflected off the water and flags adorning the
stage provide a colorful spectacle.
"The 'fluid' stage reflects the sky, the
landscape, a constantly moving scene
in which the characters perform. In
this 'natural mirror' everything is
glittering, supple… water keeps in its
bosom the mysteries of puppet plays.
Far from being an obstacle to the
puppets, water joins them, is
associated to them and mingles with
them. It does not play only the role of
background, of scenery, it is like a
conjurer having a supernatural
power, who knows how to
metamorphose, it creates the might of
the puppets and shows the artist's
talent.
Drumbeats, the songs echo on the
water before reaching the spectator.
Even the hard noise of firecrackers, of
the horn, of percussion instruments
seem to undulate, to soften in contact
with water.
During the show, when the water
bubbles and stirs, the puppets are
multiplied in a myriad of images,
mingling the ones to the others, and
the water seems then to have a soul."
This performance consists of short vignettes
- Nguyen Huy Hong
that sketch scenes of everyday life in Vietnam,
historical and mythological events. The
vignettes use movement and dance to create
impressions and emotions within the viewer as opposed to more common narrative
forms driven by plot that students may be more familiar with like storybooks and
movies.
Resources
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%BAa_r%E1%BB%91i_n%C6%B0%E1%BB%9Bc
www.academia.edu/7452276/Vietnamese_Water_Puppetry
The Company
The Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theatre was founded in 1977. Since then, the Golden
Dragon Water Puppet Theatre and has been awarded twelve gold and nine silver medals
at the National Puppetry competitions in Hanoi. The company has performed in many
countries throughout Europe and Asia, while also performing over five hundred shows a
year in their native country. The Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theatre consists of
eleven puppeteers and five musicians.
The musicians of the Rup Tung Cack ensemble, led by renowned percussionist Nguyen
Huu Dung, will accompany each performance. The traditional songs and instrumental
music that accompany water puppetry are part of what has ee alled the oldest la er
of Viet a ese usi , at least a thousa d ears old! T pi all this t pe of usi is a
combination of vocal and instrumental music. Song also plays a principal role in
Vietnamese musical form and everyone is encouraged to sing. The musicians of the
Golden Dragon Saigon Water Puppet Theatre are among the most well respected
practitioners in the country.
The traditional instruments played include:
Dan Tranh Vietnamese
Chap Cha
Thanh La
Co’ g
Tro’ g Cai
Tro’ g Phu
Mo
Nhi
Sao Truc
Trong Le
Resources
www.goldendragonwaterpuppet.com/
16 string zither
Cymbals
Large steel drum
Small drum
Traditional drum (main)
Traditional drum (side)
Gongs
Vietnamese two-string violin
Bamboo flute
Single drum
Section II
VIETNAM
Basic Facts
Full country name:
Government:
Area:
Population:
Capital city:
Ethnicity:
Language:
Religion:
Major industries:
Main Trading partners:
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Communist People's Republic
329,566 sq km (128,527 sq mi)
79 million
Hanoi (pop 3.5 million)
84% Vietnamese, 2% Chinese, also Khmers, Chams (a
remnant of the once-great Indianised Champa Kingdom)
and members of over 50 ethnolinguistic groups (also
known as Montagnards, 'highlanders' in French)
Vietnamese, Russian, French, Chinese, English and a
variety of Khmer and Laotian dialects
Buddhism is the principal religion but there are also
sizeable Taoist, Confucian, Hoa Hao, Caodaists, Muslim
and Christian minorities
Rice, rubber, food processing, sugar, textiles, chemicals
China, Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan
Geography
The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is located along the eastern coastline of the Southeast
Asian peninsula. Vietnam is bound by China in the north, by Laos and Cambodia in the
west, and by the Gulf of Tonkin and the South China Sea in the east and south. The
capital of Vietnam is Hanoi and the largest city is Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon. The
landscape of Vietnam consists of brilliant green rice paddies, stunning coastal beaches,
and soaring mountains with dense, misty forests and creates a beautiful backdrop for
Vietnam's myth and folk telling traditions.
History
Archeological excavations reveal the existence of humans in what is now Vietnam as
early as the Paleolithic age. Homo Erectus fossils dating to around 500,000 BC have been
found in caves in Lạng Sơn and Nghệ provinces in northern Vietnam. The oldest Homo
sapiens fossils from mainland Southeast Asia are of Middle Pleistocene provenance.
By 1000 BC, wet rice cultivation and bronze casting in the Ma River and Red River
floodplains led to the Dong Son culture bronze drums and the spread of early
Vietnamese cultures into other parts of Southeast Asia.
The Chinese conquered the Red River Delta in the 2nd century and ruled for 1000 years.
This rule was marked met with Vietnamese resistance and repeated rebellions. Ngo
Quyen vanquished the Chinese armies at the Bach Dan River in 938AD. Border
skirmishes with China continued over the course of the next few centuries allowing
Vietnam to extend its borders southwards from the Red River Delta across the Mekong
Delta.
French and Spanish led forces invaded in 1858 seizing Saigon in 1859. By 1867, France
had conquered all of southern Vietnam and Vietnam became the French colony of
Cochinchina. Led by communist leader Ho Chi Minh, the Vietnamese resisted French
domination during and after WWII with Ho Chi Minh declaring Vietnamese
Independence in 1945. This sparked violent confrontation with the French culminating
with a Vietnamese victory of the French military at Dien Bien Phu in 1954.
Vietnam was temporarily divided into the Communist north and the US-supported antiCommunist south under the Geneva Accords of 1954. In 1965, political and ideological
opposition turned into armed struggle. The US and other countries including the former
Soviet Union and China supplied troops and supplies to differing sides of the conflict.
Saigon eventually fell to the Communist forces on April 30, 1975.
Vietnam soon found itself with Khmer Rouge forces along the Cambodian borders. China
eventually provided support to Cambodia until the UN brokered a deal and Vietnamese
forces pulled out of Cambodia in 1989. Foreign investment encourage economic boon in
Vietnam until the foreign investment bubble burst in the late 1990s. Recently, Vietnam
has recovered economic ground signing a free trade agreement with the European
Union in 2014.
Culture
The Spiritual life of the Vietnamese people has been shaped by four great philosophies
and religions: Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism and Christianity. Tam Giao (or Triple
Religion) is a combination of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism, popular Chinese
beliefs and ancient Vietnamese animism. Vietnamese (kinh) is the official language of
the country, although there are dialectic differences across Vietnam. There are dozens
of different languages spoken by various ethnic minorities and Khmer and Laotian are
spoken in some parts. The most widely spoken foreign languages in Vietnam are Chinese
(Cantonese and Mandarin), English, French and Russian.
There are approximately 500 different tradition dishes found across Vietnam. These
range from fish and meat dishes to vegetarian fare. The staple of Vietnamese cuisine is
plain white rice coupled with vegetables, fish, meats, spices and sauces. Spring rolls,
noodles, steamed rice dumplings, and soups including eel and vermicelli are popular.
Fruit is abundant; some of the more unusual ones include green dragon fruit, jujube,
khaki, longan, mangosteen, pomelo, three-seed cherry and water apple. Vietnamese
coffee (ca phe phin) is very good; it's usually served very strong and very sweet.
Phở is a Vietnamese noodle soup consisting of broth, long rice noodles called bánh phở,
a few herbs, and meat. Pho is a popular street food in Vietnam and found in most
Vietnamese restaurants throughout North America.
Resources
www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/south_east_asia/vietnam/
www.factmonster.com/country/vietnam.html
vietnamembassy-usa.org/
I III
Section
ABOUT PUPPETRY
Puppets and Water Puppetry
The origins of puppets are still debated today. Wooden figures that were manipulated
by string have been found in Egypt dating back to 2000 BC. Early puppet use can also be
traced through ancient India, Indonesia, and ancient Greece. Evidence suggests that
many of these early puppets were used to act out sacred texts, stories and later in
Europe morality tales.
Puppets are still goi g stro g. “tude ts will o dou t e fa iliar Ji He se ’s Muppets.
Puppets also appear in a wide range of movies and musicals like the Lion King. The
power of puppets to reach young and old alike has led world organizations like Unicef to
incorporate puppets into relief efforts to provide comfort and education to children in
need. But what exactly is a puppet, and how does a puppet differ from a doll?
A puppet is an inanimate object or figure
"A puppet is not the bowing saint in
animated or manipulated by a puppeteer whose
the cathedral lock or the mechanized
manipulations seem to give the figure life. A
display figure in the store window.
puppet differs very much from a doll because
These are machines. It is definitely not
puppets are generally used to present ideas to an
a doll. When somebody plays with a
audience. While a doll may also be animated by a
doll, it involves an intimate action
which never extends past the two of
user, the context is usually different: there is
them."
generally no public aspect to play with dolls, nor
does playing with dolls follow a formal narrative.
- Bill Baird, The Art of Puppetry
Puppetry is not only a form of public
entertainment, but also has roots in ceremonial
rites, rituals, and in celebrations such as carnivals and festivals.
Water Puppetry combines myth, folklore and scenes from the daily life of people in
fishing and farming villages of traditional Vietnam. The action is formalized, and unfolds
agai st a a kdrop of Viet a ’s est-loved songs played on centuries-old instruments.
The puppeteers operate behind curtains – standing waist high in water – to move
handcrafted wooden puppets using long bamboo poles that remain hidden beneath the
water.
Water puppets differ from many other kinds of puppets. The puppets are often made of
water-resistant sung or ficus wood (suppleness is not highly valued in water puppetry)
and lacquered with a resin and can weigh up to 15 kg. Rods and string mechanisms
support the puppets, under the water, and are used by puppeteers who are hidden
behind a screen giving the puppets the appearance of moving through the water.
The head and arms of the water puppet move but the feet, which are submerged under
the water and remain unseen do not. The head and arms are attached to the body with
cloth, string, wire, and occasionally hair covered with wax. The base that supports the
puppet and helps it float, turns on a rudder when it moves. Depending on the
o ple it of the puppet’s purpose a d desig
manipulating a puppet at a time.
ore tha o e puppeteer may be
Vietnam is a country of folk festivals. Almost all villages have their own festivals. Famous
pagodas and temples also organize their annual festivals attracting a large number of
visitors and pilgrims. All festivals consist of religious rituals (worship ceremonies,
processions) and festive activities (games and feasts). There are many folk games and
contests carefully prepared by villagers, such as boat racing, folk singing, cooking rice,
making cakes, setting off firecrackers and buffalo
fighting.
"Only rice farmers, who spend much
of their lives standing in the water of
Water Puppetry is an integral part of these
their rice paddies, could have
developed this art form.”
festivals. It is significant that life imitates art, and
vice versa: young boys and girls play on a swing in
- Faces, 1997
the communal house's courtyard while on the
water stage, puppets take part if their own
swinging games; after a boat race in the river, people eagerly rush to the water stage to
watch the boats race there. Whenever watching a water puppet show, the audience
experiences the boisterous and joyful atmosphere of folk festivals. The experience can
be especially powerful because the performances are the combination of many factors
including lighting, music and song.
Water puppetry or “oul of the Ri e Fields is believed to have begun more than nine
hundred years ago in the Red River region of northern Vietnam. Floating religious
figurines carried down river by the yearly Red River floods may have inspired early
villagers. More likely, the Vietnamese were introduced to water puppetry as a Chinese
colony for 1000 years (until 939 CE). Evidence suggest that the methods of manipulating
mechanical figures in water are known to have existed, from the third century until as
late as the Ming Dynasty (1368-1643). Any tradition of water puppetry disappeared in
China hundreds of years ago, while in Vietnam water puppetry continues to be an
important element in village festivals and has been elevated to an officially sanctioned
position as the country's representative art.
A water puppet play is first recorded in the Vietnam written record in 1121 as an event
staged to commemorate the birth and longevity of a Le Dynasty king. The Sung Thien
Dien Linh stele (tower) in Nam Ha province bears an inscription. The performance is
described as follows:
A golden turtle rises to the water surface, carrying three mountain
peaks on its back. Its four legs serve as paddles and a jet of water pours
from its mouth. Casting its eyes towards the banks of the royal pond, it
acknowledges the royal countenance. A melodious tune strikes up. The
gate to a grotto opens and fairies appear in the setting of a heavenly
palace whose beauty has never before been seen on earth. The fairies
spread their arms, rhythmically performing the dance 'The Wind Blows'
and, frowning, sing the tune 'Good Fortune.' Group after group of rare
birds and graceful animals sing and dance.
- Khă c Viện Nguyẽ̂n; Huy Van Le, The Arts & Handcrafts of Vietnam
Water puppetry remained largely in the villages of Vietnam as part of seasonal festivals.
Villager volunteer would carve puppets and perform vignettes that expressed both the
hopes and joys of a good harvest, often under the director of more experienced
puppeteers. Puppeteers eventually organized themselves into guilds, guarding their
performance secrets and passing those secrets from father to son. Water puppetry
reached the height of popularity during the seventeenth century by traveling puppeteer
troupes that expanded the performance repertoire to include plays with complex
characters and plots drawn from ancient legends and epics.
The links to tradition and mythology are clear
made stronger when we realize that the water of
the stage reflects the constant movement of the
sky above. Acting as a mirror of the heavens, the
glittering water seems to bring life to the rigid
wooden puppets that dance and cavort
effortlessly. The water becomes part of the
puppets, animating and transmogrifying them as
the drums and songs echo its surface en route to
the audience.
By the time of the French occupation of Vietnam
(1867-1954), water puppetry was a dying art
form, but it experienced a revival when
Vietnamese officials resumed the tradition of
government patronage. In 1956, Ho Chi Minh
declared water puppetry an "official national
treasure" and established a National Puppetry
Center in Hanoi. Students are now recruited for
training institutes where puppeteers are trained
in singing, dancing, and painting and upon
graduation may join any number of professional
water puppet troupes now operating throughout
Vietnam.
Among these performances, the most
interesting are the items of dragons
spurting fire and water. These are also
techniques in water puppetry which
really attract the audience.
Fire spurted from the dragons'
mouths is not a real flame but flashes
of fireworks, a folk game popular in
Vietnam, especially during Lunar New
Year.
How is water spurted out from
dragons with multi-sectioned
bodies? How to set off fireworks
when dragons are in the water?
They are wonderful secrets from the
hundred-year experience of
Vietnamese water puppetry.
- Golden Dragon Water Puppet
Theatre of Saigon
Despite growing professionalization, village traditions are still at the core of water
puppetry performances. The skills necessary for this kind of puppetry came easily to
members of an agrarian society accustomed to spinning ropes, hewing bamboo, and
carving wood with simple knives, chisels, saws, and punches (Nguyen Huy Hong, Water
Puppetry of Vietnam, 1986).
Resources
www.puppetsnow.com/history-of-puppets.html
www.unicef.org/search/search.php?q_en=puppets&go.x=0&go.y=0
Section IV
TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION
AND ACTIVITIES
You may want to share the previous parts of this study guide with older students to
provide context to the performance and facilitate discussion. There are two distinct
opportunities to engage students in discussion: before the performance and after the
performance. Be prepared to share your own expectations of and reflections about the
performance. Have students compare ideas and ask questions to make new discoveries.
We have provided you with just a few suggestions of topics for discussion and activities
to help your students learn more about Water Puppetry and Vietnam.
Before the Performance
1. Let’s Talk Puppets
Discussion: What are the differences between dolls, other mechanical creatures and
puppets?
[A puppet is] an inanimate figure that is made to move by
human effort before an audience. It is the sum of these qualities
that uniquely defines the puppet. Nothing else quite satisfies
the definition. A puppet is not the bowing saint in the cathedral
lock or the mechanized display figure in the store window.
These are machines. It is definitely not a doll. When somebody
plays with a doll, it involves an intimate action which never
extends past the two of them. The player supplies the life for
both of them. In no sense is that show business…
Puppets are not little men, women, or animals. A puppet must
always be more than his live counterpart—simpler, sadder,
more wicked, more supple. The puppet is an essence and an
emphasis.
- Bil Baird, The Art of Puppetry
Activity: Have your students make their own puppets. Have them create a short puppet
play about a myth, a cultural tradition they practice, or an experience they have had.
2. Puppets in Water!
Discussion: Have students previously seen any kind of performance on water? How do
the i agi e a Water Puppet perfor a e works ? What kinds of movements do
students expect puppets to be able to perform? What kinds of actions would they like to
see performed? What special kinds of movements will be associated with water
puppetry?
Activity: Have students research and write a short description (or draw a picture) of how
they imagine the water puppets are controlled by the puppeteers.
3. Exploring Cultures
Discussion: What do students know about Vietnamese history, geography and culture?
Many people have immigrated to their current country of residence. Cultures and
traditions often travel with people when they immigrate. Discuss some of the foods,
holidays, festivals, dances, and folklore that originated in other cultures.
Activity: Have students discuss or prepare a short presentation about an aspect of their
own ancestral traditions. Alternatively, have students research the origin of their
favorite food and reflect on how it has changed when it came here.
After the Performance
1. General Discussion
Discussion: What feelings did you have while you listened to the singing and watched
the Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theater performance? Why do you think Vietnamese
people choose water as the stage for their puppet shows? What about the music was
most interesting to you? Who was Uncle Tễu and what was his role? What are the four
holy beasts in Vietnamese culture?
2. Be the Press
Discussion: What did you learn from the performance? What did you like best?
Activity: Tell students to write an article for their school or community newspaper:
describe the performance, the staging, the puppets, the music and the stories with as
much detail as you can remember. Take the article a step further by reflecting on what
the performance taught them about Vietnamese culture and traditions.
3. Invent Your Own Instrument
Discussion: At the performance students saw many traditional instruments. While some
have become more complex over time, and the materials have changed, many of the
instruments were originally fashioned by local artisans and craftsmen using simple
materials.
Activity: Encourage the students to make their own musical instruments at home and
share the with the lass. It’s easier tha ou ight thi k to ake so e prett a azi g
instruments at home. Here are links to some great ideas to inspire your students:
1. The Dallas Symphony Orchestra
www.dsokids.com/activities-at-home/make-instrument/.aspx
2. Mudcat
mudcat.org/kids/
3. Pinterest
www.pinterest.com/maestroclassics/homemade-musical-instruments/
Other Resources
Kindergarten - Grade 2
General Interest
 Vietnam A to Z: Discover the colorful culture of Vietnam (CreateSpace
Independent Publishing Platform, 2012)
 1,2,3 Vietnam!: A creative Vietnam-themed picture book for young children
(Elka K. Ray, Mark Hoffman, 2012)
 Sing 'n Learn Vietnamese Book with Audio CD (Hop Thi Nguyen, Master
Communications, 1998)
 Grandfather's Dream (Holly Keller, Greenwillow Books, 1994)
Folk Takes
 How Tiger Got His Stripes (Rob Cleveland, August House, 2006)
 Tam and Cam: The Ancient Vietnamese Cinderella (Minh Quoc, East West
Discovery Press, 2006)
 The Toad is the Emperor's Uncle: Animal Folktales from Viet-Nam (Vo Dinh,
Doubleday, 1970)
Grade 3 - Grade 7
General Interest
 Inside Out and Back Again (Thanhha Lai, Harper Collins, 2013)
National Book Award Winner and Newvery Honor Book
 Water Buffalo Days: Growing Up in Vietnam (Huynh Quang Nhuong, Harper
Collins, 1999)
 The Lotus Seed (Sherry Garland, HMH Books for Young Readers, 1997)
 Goodbye, Vietnam (Gloria Whelan, Turtleback, 1993)
 The Land I Lost: Adventures of a Boy in Vietnam (Huynh Quang Nhuong, Harper
Collins, 1986)
Folk Takes
 Children of the Dragon: Selected tales from Vietnam (Sherry Garland, Pelican
Publishing, 2012)
 The Dragon Prince: Stories and Legends from Vietnam (Thich Nhat Hanh, Parallax
Press, 2007)
 The Beggar in the Blanket & Other Vietnamese Tales (Gail B. Graham, Dial, 1970)
Grade 8 - Grade 12
General Interest
 Windows to Vietnam: A Journey in Pictures and Verse (Scott C. Clarkson,
Cheshire Publishing, 2007)
 Vietnam - Cultures of the World (Audrey Seah, Benchmark Books, 2005)
 Vietnam in Pictures - Visual Geography, Twenty-First Century (Stacy TausBolstad, Lerner Publications, 2003)
 From Rice Paddies and Temple Yards: Traditional Music of Viet Nam (Phong
Nguyen, World Music Press, 2002)
 Vietnam - the People (Bobbie Kalman, Crabtree, 1996)
Folk Takes
 The Brocaded Slipper and Other Vietnamese Tales (Lynette Dyer Vuong, Harper
Collins Publishing, 1992)
 Under the Starfruit Tree: Folktales from Vietnam, (Alice Terada, U of Hawaii
Press, 1989)
Websites
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the nation's oldest federal cultural institution and serves as
the research arm of Congress. It is also the largest library in the world, with millions of
books, recordings, photographs, maps and manuscripts in its collections.
www.loc.gov/search/?q=vietnam
Geographia
A complete guide to one of Asia's most captivatingly beautiful and tranquil countries.
www.geographia.com/vietnam/
I Love Vietnam
The URL links to a discussion of Water Puppets, but the parent URL is packed with great
pictures and information about the Vietnamese countryside.
ilove-vietnam.blogspot.ca/2012/05/water-puppet.html
Puppets Now
Your resource for all things related to Puppets.
www.puppetsnow.com/history-of-puppets.html
Thank you teachers, parents and educators. We hope you enjoy the performance and
that this Study Guide will help you and your students explore the fascinating worlds of
puppetry, water puppets, and Vietnam.
If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact the producer, Avril Helbig.
Written and designed by Jason Helbig and Joanna Kapusta
© Inside-Out Communications, Toronto. All other rights reserved.