Biography
For the people of Bàn Thạch Village, also known as Rạch Village, in Hồng Quang Commune, Nam Trực District, Nam Định Province, the art of water puppetry is a source of cultural pride deeply ingrained in the consciousness of many generations. In the course of its formation and development, the art of water puppetry was mentioned nearly 1,000 years ago. According to the Sùng Thiện Diên Linh stele, erected in 1121 during the reign of King Lý Nhân Tông at Đọi Pagoda (Hà Nam), it is recorded that the people staged a water puppet performance for the king, illustrated by three verses describing both words and movements:“A fairy descends from the sky/ Raising a clear and melodious song/ Praising the noble merits of the benevolent king.”.
Tradition
In Bàn Thạch, according to many documents preserved locally, in the 16th year of the Cảnh Hưng era (1755), Mai Văn Kha, a master woodcarver, took the initiative to gather villagers skilled in puppetry and establish a water puppetry troupe. Drawing on their expertise in statue carving and lacquer work, the troupe members crafted their own puppets, such as Chú Tễu, fairy maidens, and the sacred creatures: dragon, qilin, turtle, and phoenix…
After nearly 300 years of preservation and development, alongside Nguyên Xá (Đông Hưng, Thái Bình), Nhân Hòa (Vĩnh Bảo, Hải Phòng), and Đào Thục (Đông Anh, Hà Nội), Bàn Thạch Village is also regarded as one of the cradles of northern Vietnam’s water puppetry. The water puppetry artisans of Bàn Thạch have preserved more than 40 traditional repertoire pieces. Most of these performances originate from everyday stories closely associated with rural life, such as rice planting, fishing, buffalo herding, and swing playing…
Activity
- A Brief Introduction to Vietnamese Water Puppetry
- Artisans perform water puppetry pieces.
- Guiding visitors and students in practicing water puppetry performances.
- A group of students and visitors perform a self-devised puppet play.