Cultural puppetry exchange fosters international friendship
International and host puppeteers joined an art performance at the Lam Son Theatre in the northern central province of Thanh Hoa as part of the ongoing fourth International Puppetry Festival.
A water puppet show at the 2015 Con Son Kiep Bac Fall Festival. (Source: VNA)
International and host puppeteers joined an art performance on October 15 at the Lam Son Theatre in the northern central provincey of Thanh Hoa as part of the ongoing fourth International Puppetry Festival.
The artists come from Vietnam’s Thang Long Puppetry Theatre, Germany’s Annafabuli Puppet Theatre and Russia’s Moscow State Puppet Theatre.
The fourth International Puppetry Festival, running in Hanoi from October 10 to 16, has drawn puppeteers from its host country and nine others.
Foreign troupes will come from Russia, the UK, Germany, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Belgium and the Philippines. They are scheduled to perform in the northern provinces of Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh, Hai Duong and Vinh Phuc, as well as Thanh Hoa province in the central region.
Vietnam is famous around the world for its unique, attractive water puppetry.
Water puppetry is believed to have come from villages in the Red River Delta in the 11th century, when performing guilds from nine northern provinces practiced the art. Evidence of the link between water puppetry and farming can be seen in the traditional puppetry guilds, which are located around the fertile land of the Red River Delta. This area consists of numerous rivers and is often prone to flooding.
Research by the Thang Long Water Puppetry Theatre in 2005 showed that of the 27 active practicing guilds from 1955 to 1976, only 14 remain active and most were unable to make a living from the art. Le Tien Tho, president of the Vietnam Stage Artists Association, said that traditional puppetry guilds are in danger of becoming extinct because many young people no longer want to participate.-VNA
Water puppetry performances began in the World Cultural Heritage Site of Hoi An Ancient Town on a weekly basis as from October 2, adding a new attraction to both tourists and local people.
The fourth International Puppetry Festival will take place in Hanoi from October 10-16, drawing puppeteers from host Vietnam and nine foreign countries.
A wide range of puppetry genres including water puppetry, shadow puppetry and mask puppetry will be featured in 18 shows during the fourth International Puppetry Festival opened in Hanoi on October 10
For the first time, Vietnamese audiences will have the opportunity to experience the ballet masterpiece "Don Quixote" in its original version by renowned choreographer Marius Petipa.
The contest carried deep meaning as it was the first time the life of Vietnamese women abroad had been highlighted as the central theme, said poet and writer Nguyen Quang Thieu, Chairman of the Vietnam Writers’ Association.
The event formed part of Vietnam’s ongoing campaign to seek UNESCO World Heritage status for the complex at the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, scheduled to take place in Paris in July.
Creative cultural festivals are fast emerging as a new catalyst for tourism development in Vietnam, as localities increasingly invest in these vibrant events on a more systematic and larger scale.
This marks the first time Vietnam has hosted a continental-level Muay event which will feature competitions across 28 weight categories in combat and eight performance categories.
Coming to the Vietnamese booth, visitors had the chance to take part in a bamboo dance, a workshop on painting woven bamboo or rattan, or quizzes about Vietnam.
These are impressive achievements, not only showing the efforts and prowess of Vietnamese paddlers but also serving as proof of the sports sector’s strategic and systematic investment.
The cultural event in Canberra not only fostered cultural exchanges between Vietnam and Australia but also contributed to promoting Vietnam’s image internationally
The U23 competition will run from June 16 to 22, followed by the U17 event from June 23 to 28, while athletes competing in the U23 category will undergo weight and skill checks ahead of the matches starting June 18, while similar checks for U17 athletes will take place before June 23.
Vietnam continues to sit just behind continental powerhouses Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, China, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).
The event served as a vibrant display of solidarity, promoting peace, cooperation, and development through cultural dialogue, and reaffirmed HCM City's role as a dynamic hub for cultural diplomacy and international friendship.
The Indian Film Festival not only honours the artistic value of cinema but also contributes to strengthening the friendship and enhancing cultural exchange between the people of Son La in particular and Vietnam in general and India.
An art exchange programme between Vietnam and Cambodia was held on the evening of June 13 in the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long as part of the 2025 Cambodia Culture Week in Vietnam.
Digitalisation does not mean commercialisation or oversimplification of culture. It is a way of selecting, adapting, and spreading traditional values through a modern language.
The 11th edition is expected to serve as a vital channel for conveying Vietnam’s development message to the international community, and represent a milestone in the implementation of the Politburo’s Conclusion No. 57 on continuing to improve the quality and efficiency of external information service in the new situation.
In the standard chess event for grandmasters, Vietnamese player Banh Gia Huy claimed the championship title in Group 1, while Vu Nguyen Bao Linh took the top position in the women's category of the blitz chess event at the second Quang Ninh GM/IM/FM Chess Tournament 2025.
A water puppet show at the 2015 Con Son Kiep Bac Fall Festival. (Source: VNA)
