A Brief Introduction of The Vietnam National Puppetry Theatre

Vietnam National Puppetry Theatre – the largest hub of puppetry arts of Vietnam with the function of preserving and developing traditional theatrical arts. The Theatre has a long history of 60 years of development and has a number of leading puppetry researchers, authors, directors, visual artists, ne art decorators, and puppet performers of the country. It has 5 People’s Artists, 25 Artists of Merit and many other outstanding young artists.

The puppet shows of the Theatre are rich in content and new in format, delivering profound human culture messages. Many audiences, after watching the shows give this comment: “After watching Vietnamese puppet shows, we nd Vietnam in our heart”. During their traveling performance overseas, Vietnam National Puppetry Theatre has brought Vietnam’s unique art, full of national cultural identity to friends from all continents, contributing to enhancing mutual understanding and cooperation between Vietnam and other countries. In each overseas performance trip, the Theatre has a chance to promote Vietnam’s image and its puppetry art has received countless praises. Continuous overseas performance contracts and invitations show that Vietnam puppetry has a rm foothold in international art market.

Vietnam National Puppetry Theatre is proud to have a contingent of talented artists, who are devoted to and continue the cause of their forerunners. Artists from the Vietnam National Puppetry Theatre not only have golden dexterous hands but also are very creative, talented, dynamic and sensitive in nding the key to the art of puppetry to develop the theatre’s brand in the market. Puppeteers from other countries can manipulate only one type of puppetry such as stick puppets or hand puppets etc. but Vietnamese puppeteers can perform dierent types of puppets such as water puppets, stick puppets, hand puppets, string puppets etc. Looking at the prizes won by the Vietnam National Puppetry Theatre from professional contests and festivals, and its number of shows per year which is often higher year by year, one can understand what factors that have made the Theatre success. The theatre has won many high prizes and awards for its art shows and artists including Award for Best World Art Program at the Czech Republic in 2002; Award for Most Attractive Program selected by the audience at the World Theatrical Festival in China in 2013; World Championship Award at the Harmony World Puppet Carnival in Thailand in 2014; Gold Medals at International Marionette Festival in 2008, 2010, 2015.

A Brief Introduction of The Thang Long Tally Card Songs - Quan De Temple

Located at No. 28 Hang Buom street, Hang Buom ward, Hoan Kiem district, Quan De Temple was constructed to worship a loyal general of Thuc Kingdom in Three Kingdoms Period (3rd Century A.D).

Ca Tru singing is recognized as intangible cultural and orally handed down heritage of mankind. It can be said that none of the art of Vietnam is normative, principle, formal as Ca Tru. On the other hand this is the only kind of art in the world.

Ca tru music sounds strange to the uninitiated. Clicks and clacks accompany the centuries old ballads. It is not the kind of music that inspires toe tapping or humming.

A Brief Introduction of The Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre

Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre is the ideal cultural place for visitors. It offers the “unique” water puppet program which is the extremely attractive spiritual “speciality”. For many last years, the brand name Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre has been known as an exploit which possesses a specially “uncanny” attraction, becomes a destination which is fonded of by many domestic and foreign visitors and tourists.

The Theatre was established on October 1969 under the investment and guidance of Hanoi City People’s Committee and Department of Culture- Sport and Tourism. After nearly a half-century of formation and development, from an art troupe of 9 actors and actresses who graduated from Hanoi College of Art; now the Theatre has owned two troupes and functional divisions and sections, a personnel force of officers, artists, puppeteers, technicians… who have been under full-time training courses, highly qualified, active, creative, fully enthusiastic. They may undertake many parts with many styles of performance… keeping pace with international puppeteers. Many of them have held such positions as managers, authors, stage directors or activists…

A Brief Introduction of The Hanoi Opera House

Hanoi Opera House is a project built by the French government in the early years of the 20th century. Its construction started in 1901 and completed in 1911.

Where we are sitting formerly was a wetland area belonging to two villages Thach Tan and Tay Luong - Phuc Lan – Tho Xuong District. In 1899, the city council held a meeting under the chairmanship of Richard - Hanoi's envoy who proposed to build up the Theatre.

Two architects Harlay and Broyer are designers of the Project. The design was under much modification due to comments of many other architects.

The works started on June 7, 1901, under technical supervision of an urban inspector - architect Harlay - one of the two designers. The persons in charge of construction were two men Mr. Savelon and Mr. Travary.

Hanoi Opera House is a unique structure with its outstanding values in terms of history, culture, architecture and art. It is a unique component of the urban and capital architecture, contributing to our country face today in the field of culture, creating the necessary prerequisites for expansion of cultural exchange on the way of economic and social development today, especially in the struggle to revive the national culture.

A Brief Introduction of The Star Galaxy Theatre

The most modern Theater in Vietnam, located inside the Star Galaxy Theater & Convention Building at 87 Lang Ha Star Galaxy, The 300 seat theatre is a superb semicircular venue, presenting the entire audience with “ringside” seats. It benefits from multi-layered projection, a world class lighting rig and a superb surround sound P.A. system.

This theater is designed and equipped by the world class equipment on lighting, sound and multi-layer screen for a very spectacular show, called Ionah show, which has been favorited in Hanoi recently.

Ionah is a mixture of dance, theatre, circus and music, that tells the story of a young girl’s journey inside her soul to face the struggle between good and evil. Lost in this illusion, she is blinded by anger, but battles to find her escape from the feelings that rage within her, so she can return to the reality of her life. It is set “somewhere in Hanoi”. Beginning with iconic scenes of the Vietnamese capital the stage soon transforms into a magical and mysterious world.

A Brief Introduction of The Vietnam Tuong Theatre

Located at 51A Duong thanh Street – Hoan Kiem District – Ha Noi, Vietnam Tuong Theatre was committed to own Hong Ha Theatre by Ministry of Culture and Information. Vietnam Tuong Theatre, originally came from Northern Performance Art Group which was forming many years and going through many generations and its performance were not only popular in all over rural areas but also in the big urban cities in the northern region such as: Hà Nội, Bắc Ninh, Hải Phòng, Nam Định,Vinh ...and in the Tuồng theatres which were the famous places for Tuong Art performance in all the year round like Quảng Lạc, Sán Nhiên Đài.

Due to the long time feudal sociaty of east asian material condition style, which had been given big effect to the Tuong art stage development. The Tuong Art and its artists were used to be considered as low position in the sociaty by the colonialism and the feudal regimes for being looked down even lower than maid or servants citizenship but thanks for loves and unlimited favour of people and of its generations of Artists, the Tuong art has been vitally continuing and existing; thanks for the culture orientation and direction from the Party and government which could be a magical power that created many artist generations to continue its steps to develop art stage of Tuong art.

A Brief Introduction of The Vietnam Contemporary Art Theatre

Vietnam Contemporary Art Theatre is a cultural business unit with revenues under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The Theater was formerly established on 14 Apr 1986; however, its formation had already launched in 1979 with the establishment of the Contemporary Song, Dance and Music Group and Vietnamese Traditional Music Group belonging to Vietnam Song, Dance and Music Theater.

The Theatre is proud of generations of famous artists including individuals having the first contribution in establishment and development of Vietnam Contemporary Music such as Musician Nguyen Van Thuong, Musician Pham Dinh Sau; the artist of the first and second generations of today young artists. In addition, it has a lot of contemporary music artists who has been admired such as Singer Ai Van, Le Quyen, Thanh Lam, Hong Nhung, My Linh , Ho Quynh Huong , Viet Hoan, To Minh Thang and so on. Vietnam Contemporary Art Theatre and its top artists were awarded Labor Medal and a lot of awards and noble titles.

A Brief Introduction of The Vietnam Cheo Theatre

Cheo is a form of art performance very popular in the North of Vietnam. Cheo singing is wonderful combination of dance and singing in the form of music theatre. The actors and actresses will perform dancing and singing to tell the story of the play. They have different costumes, make-up, language and behaviors which are typical for different characters. However, all characters are familiar with the real life in order to present a picture of real life on stage.

Chèo is a form of generally satirical musical theatre, often encompassing dance, traditionally performed by Vietnamese peasants in northern Vietnam. It is usually performed outdoors by semi-amateur touring groups, stereotypically in a village square or the courtyard of a public building, although it is today increasingly also performed indoors and by professional performers. Chèo stage art is one of the great cultural heritage of the Vietnamese folk treasure. Chèo has been a popular art form of the Vietnamese people for many generations and has fostered the national spirit through its lyrical content.

A Brief Introduction of The Hanoi Cheo Theatre

Located at 15 Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street, Hai Ba Trung District, The Hanoi Cheo Theater has, over the years, played an important role in preserving and promoting the art. Cheo Theatre is an interesting destination for people who love traditional folk art.

One of unique and impressed programs put into operation to serve visitors in Ha Noi Cheo Theatre is “Long Thanh folk show” with many special folk art items of Northern Delta civilization and ancient Thang Long land. The highlight of “Long Thanh folk show” is a new performance model combining cheo and water puppetry on the same stage. The model not only contributes to preserving and developing the art types of cheo and water puppetry but also introduces them to visitors, especially foreign visitors. The model also aims to attract children by funny water puppetry scenes and learning about cheo.

With same origination from Northern Delta, cheo and water puppetry have many similarities and close attachments. The music, language and story of cheo is used for water puppetry. Normally, water puppetry artists control puppets in lakes or ponds, and cheo artists are inside tormentor and sing according to the acts of puppets. But in the “Long Thanh folk show”, the items are performed on a multi-functional stage which includes a wooden floor and a pool of water. Some items are performed in both wooden floor and pool. Especially, cheo artists sing, say and control puppets directly by hand to express acts of characters, and give audience real and intimate feelings

A Brief Introduction of The Tally card songs - Kim Ngân Temple

Located in 42 Hang Bac, one of the busiest streets in the city’s Old Quarter, Kim Ngan Temple worships Hien Vien who is believed to be the founder of all crafts. The temple was built in the end of 15th century by Luu Xuan Tin, a Literature Mandarin under King Le Thanh Tong’s Dynasty. Luu Xuan Tin was born in Chau Khe, a village famous for producing silvers and making silver jewelries in Hai Duong Province. With half of the population in Chau Khe left their village for Ha Noi and inhabited in Hang Bac, the street has since become popular as the home of silversmiths in the capital city. Besides Kim Ngan, another temple called Truong and currently situated in 50 Hang Bac, was also built by Chau Khe people.

In Kim Ngan Temple. tally card song (ca tru singing) is performed like the Vietnamese traditional folk art, tally card song music sounds strange to the uninitiated. Click and clacks accompany the century old ballads. Originally, ca trù was also called hát ả đào (literally song of the women singers). Attractive young singers entertained men in a relaxed environment, sometime serving drinks and snacks

Ca tru requires at least three performers. The singer is always a woman and plays the phach, an instrument made of wood or bamboo that is beaten with two wooden sticks. A musician accompanies the singer on the dan day, a long-necked lute with three silk strings and 10 frets. There is also a drummer or trong chau.

Ca trù may be regarded as the art of singing poems. There is a wide repertoire specially designed for different occasions. Without a good understanding of the literature value of the songs and of the harmony between the singer and the accompanying instruments, it may be difficult to fully appreciate this art.