Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre, Hanoi

The Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre is just good fun.

I booked ahead of time at the behest of the fellow manning the front desk of my hotel, but when I arrived it wasn’t full. As a short guy myself I had no trouble with the seating, but some of the guests around me were complaining about the lack of legroom. Apparently it’s a common problem there among foreigners.

© Jean-Pierre Dalbera | Flickr

The show itself was entertaining and unique. I’d never witnessed a water puppet show before and the lights and music were a blast. They even had sparklers at one point.

The only downside was the entire show is in Vietnamese, making the storyline a little difficult to follow at times. I imagine children might be too enraptured by the colors to care, but it was a tad confusing at times for adults.

© Jean-Pierre Dalbera | Flickr

All in all the show lasts roughly 45 minutes and only cost about $5 so it was certainly worth the time and money spent. It’s a unique look into a different culture and the artistry involved was fascinating and impressive.

Don’t go here looking for some in-depth play; it’s more of a cute way to kill a little time in the evening than anything. It’s a great date night or a thing to do after dinner.

57b Dinh Tien Hoang, Hoan Kiem

Hanoi, Vietnam

84 4 3936 4335