The first Vietnam Puppetry Festival opened on Nguyen Hue Pedestrian street, Ho Chi Minh City, on August 16. (Photo: VNA)
HCM City (VNA) - The first Vietnam Puppetry Festival opened on NguyenHue Pedestrian street, Ho Chi Minh City, on August 16 with the participation ofsix theatres.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and TourismVuong Duy Bien said the festival will contribute to enriching cultural andrecreational activities on Nguyen Hue Pedestrian street.
He hoped that the festival would continue being held and become a touristproduct and an art brand name, luring visitors to the pedestrian street and HCMCity as well.
The three-day event offers Ho Chi Minh Citydwellers as well as tourists free Vietnamese puppetry performances in an outdoorcultural exchange space for the first time.
Different forms of Vietnamese puppetry, such as rode, hand, string, andmachine and water puppetry, are introduced to audience during the festival by hundreds ofpuppeteers from the Vietnam Puppetry Theatre, Phuong Nam Art Theatre, Hai PhongPuppetry Theatre, Dong Nai Art Theatre, Kite Theatre, and the Soul Music &Performing Arts Academy.
Through the activities, the festival is expected to bring the art of puppetrycloser to the public in the southern region, as well as internationaltourists, thereby contributing to preserving and promoting the cultural valueof the unique traditional art form.-VNA
Founded in the 11th century under Ly Dynasty, Dong Ngu village’s unique form of water puppetry continues to draw crowds today, with unparalleled mystery, mastery and commitment from its performers.
Water puppetry is an art form unique to Vietnam, especially in the Red River Delta region. Join us to learn about the long-standing art form which has been preserved and developed through generations
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Quang Duc pottery is known for its wide range of forms, including wine bottles, jars, lime pots, vases, plant pots, incense burners and candle stands. Decorative motifs are equally rich, featuring mythical creatures, pastoral scenes, floral patterns, deer, peacocks, bats and more.
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The Vietnamese team will gather on June 26 in Ba Ria-Vung Tau, where they will train until July 14 before departing for Indonesia for the ASEAN U23 Championship 2025, which runs from July 15 to 29. Vietnam will face Laos on July 19 and Cambodia on July 22 in the group stage.
The exhibition showcases more than 100 valuable documents and artifacts, divided into two main parts: “Journalist Nguyen Ai Quoc – Ho Chi Minh” and “President Ho Chi Minh – Founder and Mentor of Vietnamese Revolutionary Press.” This is an opportunity to recall the late leader’s journalism journey and affirm his exceptional role in founding and guiding the revolutionary press in Vietnam.
For the first time, the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) has granted Vietnam hosting rights for the two championships, including the Asian women’s solo category, which debuts this year as an officially recognised event.
Eight teams will join the tournament, divided into two groups. Group A features Vietnam, the Philippines, Sichuan Club (China), and Australia, while Group B consists of Vietnam U21, Korabelka Club (Russia), Taiwan (China), and U21 Thailand.
Despite strong home support and high expectations, Vietnam were unable to overcome the defending champions, who secured their third consecutive win over Vietnam in a regional final, following previous victories in 2014 and 2023.
The event, part of Vietnam’s cultural diplomacy strategy through 2030, was jointly organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Venezuela and USM’s Faculty of International Relations. It attracted thousands of students from universities across Venezuela.
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.
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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 first Vietnam Puppetry Festival opened on Nguyen Hue Pedestrian street, Ho Chi Minh City, on August 16. (Photo: VNA) 
