Water Puppet Show in Hanoi

The Thang Long Water Puppet Show in Hanoi is a unique art form where puppeteers create magic in a knee-deep water pond from behind the curtain, accompanied by a lilting traditional live music band and singers.

The Theatre is located on the shore of Hoan Kiem Lake and can be easily spotted from a distance.

The show is woven around legends and folklore of Vietnam, the play creates vivid and colourful images of Vietnamese country life with puppet animals and fields, fishermen on boats, fighting dragons and wedding processions, and fighters in traditional attire.

The auditorium with the small water pool used for the show

Puppeteers greeting the audience at the end of the show

What you need to know before your visit

• The auditorium is packed to capacity, so please make your bookings in advance.

• You will be issued an online voucher that you must exchange for a ticket at least 10 minutes before the show begins, and the exchange counter is about a 5-minute walk away from the theatre.

• The show lasts for 50 minutes, and there are many shows throughout the day.

• There are 3 categories of prices. We were seated in the second row from the front, and the view was great. It was worth paying that extra amount of money.

• Don't forget to take the audio guide, if you wish to dig deeper into the storyline behind the show.

• You can get some great souvenirs from the souvenir shop in the theatre.

• If, for some reason, you're unable to watch the water puppet show in Hanoi, you can always catch one in Ho Chi Minh City at the Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theatre.

The show was very entertaining and unique and should not be missed on your Hanoi itinerary.