Night time and puppets

Into the city for an evening tour, dinner and an underwater puppet show. No, we were not underwater-- the puppeteers were. At least their bodies were as they manipulated the puppets from behind curtains.
Water puppetry is a Vietnamese tradition that dates back as far as the 11th century, when it originated in the villages of the Red River delta. When rice fields would flood, the villagers would entertain each other using this form of puppet play.

The original water puppet festivals were held inside a rice paddy, with a pagoda built on top to hide the puppeteers who stand in the waist-deep water. The water acts as the stage for the puppets and as a symbolic link to the rice harvest.Read more