What are water puppets?
Water puppetry is a traditional Vietnamese art form that began in the rice-growing villages of the Red River Delta over a thousand years ago. Farmers created wooden puppets and used flooded rice fields as natural stages during festivals and communal celebrations, turning everyday landscapes into places of performance.
The shows are performed on water, with puppeteers standing waist-deep behind a screen. Using long bamboo poles and hidden string mechanisms, they control brightly painted wooden figures that appear to dance, fish, or fight dragons on the water’s surface. A live orchestra with drums, wooden bells, horns, and traditional singing adds rhythm and context, making the performance lively even if you don’t understand the language.
What makes water puppetry unique is that it can only be found in Vietnam, where it developed from the close relationship between farmers, water, and community life. It combines folklore, local legends, and humor with a stage unlike anywhere else in the world.
What is Thanh Hai Water Puppet Village?
Thanh Hai Water Puppet Village is located in Thanh Ha District, Hai Duong Province, about 90 kilometers east of Hanoi. The village is known for preserving a 300-year-old tradition of water puppetry, one of Vietnam’s most distinctive folk arts. Unlike the polished theaters in Hanoi, the shows here are staged in a rural setting, giving visitors a glimpse of how this art was originally performed in village ponds.
What makes Thanh Hai special is that the performers are not full-time entertainers but farmers and villagers who continue the craft alongside their daily work. Their troupe was revived in 1999 and has since grown into a recognized cultural group that still performs in the village and at festivals around the country. In 2025, the site was officially recognized as a tourist attraction by Hai Duong province, highlighting its role in protecting and showcasing this living heritage.
A visit here is less about grand theater and more about experiencing a community art form in its original environment. You can expect traditional plays, interaction with the artists, and a slower-paced village setting that feels authentic and connected to everyday rural life.
History of Thanh Hai Water Puppet Village
Water puppetry in Thanh Hai has been practiced for more than 300 years, with roots closely tied to the farming life of the Red River Delta. For centuries, performances were part of festivals and community gatherings, reflecting the daily life, humor, and spiritual beliefs of local villagers.
Like many traditional arts, the practice declined during the 20th century, as rural life changed and younger generations pursued other work. By the 1990s, performances in Thanh Hai had nearly disappeared. In 1999, a group of villagers from An Liet hamlet came together to revive the troupe, determined to preserve what they saw as part of their cultural identity.
From this revival, the troupe grew steadily. Today, it counts around 29–36 members, most of whom are farmers who rehearse and perform in their spare time. Their dedication has brought the troupe recognition at national festivals, where they have won awards for unique acts such as frog-catching and firecracker processions. They have also been invited to perform in major cultural events across Vietnam.
In 2025, the People’s Committee of Hai Duong officially recognized Thanh Hai Water Puppetry as a tourist attraction, cementing its status as an important site for cultural preservation. Beyond the shows themselves, the village’s efforts represent the broader challenge of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage in a rapidly modernizing country.
Highlights of visiting Thanh Hai Water Puppet Village
1. Watch the water puppet performance
The centerpiece of any visit is the traditional water puppet show. Typical plays illustrate rural life—fishing, farming, festivals—as well as legends like the Sword Lake story with its golden turtle and magical sword. The puppets, carved from fig wood and coated in lacquer, glide across the water with surprising agility.
Behind the curtain, performers stand waist-deep in water, bringing the figures to life with bamboo poles and hidden string mechanisms. A live orchestra provides the soundtrack, with drums, wooden bells, flutes, and singing that enhance the storytelling. Even if you don’t follow the language, the rhythm, humor, and colorful scenes are easy to enjoy.
2. Meet the artisans
Unlike city theaters, the performers here are local villagers who farm by day and perform in their free time. After the show, some are happy to explain their craft, share anecdotes, or let you see the puppets up close. Meeting the artists adds a personal dimension, showing how much effort and pride goes into preserving this folk art.
3. Learn about puppet-making
Certain arranged visits may include a short demonstration of puppet-making. While carving and painting puppets is a skill that takes years to master, visitors can gain an appreciation of the process, the materials used, and the symbolic meaning of different characters. This behind-the-scenes look highlights just how much craftsmanship lies behind a performance that may last only an hour.
4. Explore the village setting
The setting itself adds to the experience. Thanh Hai is a small rural community with rice paddies, a communal house, and a pond used as the performance stage. Walking through the village gives you a sense of the countryside lifestyle that inspired the stories in the shows. It’s not a polished tourist attraction but a slower, more authentic slice of daily life.
5. Local culinary & Cultural experience
On some tours, it’s possible to enjoy a simple home-cooked meal with a local family or sample specialties from Hai Duong province. This can range from fresh countryside dishes to seasonal fruits grown in the area. Sharing food in this context adds another layer of cultural exchange, turning the visit into more than just a performance stop.
Practical visiting tips
Location & Address
Thanh Hai Water Puppet Village is located in Thanh Hai Commune, Thanh Ha District, Hai Duong Province. It lies about 90 kilometers east of Hanoi, roughly halfway along the route to Hai Phong and Halong Bay.
How to get there
The easiest way to reach Thanh Hai is by car, with the drive from Hanoi taking about two hours depending on traffic. Because of its position along the highway, the village works best as part of a combined trip: either on the way back from Halong Bay or as a detour when heading toward Hai Phong. Traveling by local bus is not recommended, as connections are inconvenient and do not drop you near the village itself.
Show schedule & Booking
Performances are not held daily, so it’s important to arrange a visit in advance. Most shows are scheduled for groups, often organized through tour agencies or local guides. If you are traveling independently, contacting the troupe directly can be difficult due to language barriers, so booking through a guide or operator is the most reliable option. Larger groups tend to have an easier time arranging performances, but smaller groups can sometimes join if a show is already planned.
Best time to visit
Shows can take place year-round, though the cooler, dry season from October to April is generally more comfortable for exploring the village. If your visit coincides with a local festival based on the lunar calendar, the atmosphere is especially lively, as water puppetry often plays a central role in these celebrations.
How to arrange a trip
For most travelers, the simplest way is to include Thanh Hai Water Puppet Village in a broader itinerary. A private driver or guided tour can combine the visit with nearby Hai Duong attractions, or with onward travel to Hai Phong or Halong Bay. Trying to visit the village as a stand-alone half-day trip from Hanoi is possible but less efficient, especially given the travel time and the need to pre-arrange a performance.
Is Thanh Hai Water Puppet Village worth visiting?
Thanh Hai Water Puppet Village offers a unique chance to see one of Vietnam’s oldest art forms in its original countryside setting. The performances feel authentic, and the fact that the artists are local farmers gives the experience a genuine atmosphere that you won’t find in Hanoi’s tourist theaters.
That said, the village is not the easiest place to visit. It requires advance arrangements, and the shows are less frequent and less polished than what you’ll find in the capital. For most travelers, it’s not worth making the two-hour trip from Hanoi just for the puppets.
Where it does make sense is as part of a broader journey—especially when traveling to or from Hai Phong or Halong Bay, or if you’re already exploring Hai Duong Province. If you can arrange a visit that includes meeting the artisans or trying a workshop, the experience becomes far more rewarding and memorable.
