Traditional water puppetry performed at the Vietnam Puppetry Theatre. Photo: VNA  

Although widely regarded as a cultural “speciality” attracting tourists, Vietnamese puppetry is facing multiple challenges in preservation and development, requiring renewed efforts to both safeguard its identity and adapt to contemporary cultural currents.

Amid rapid urbanisation, performance spaces for many traditional water puppetry guilds have gradually narrowed. People’s Artist Nguyen Hoang Tuan, Chairman of the Hanoi Theatre Association, noted that while northern Vietnam had 27 puppetry guilds in 1986, only 14 remain today. Many traditional plays and original scripts have been lost, hurting restoration and preservation efforts. Meanwhile, the severe shortage of researchers, theorists and critics in theatre studies has created a significant gap in the knowledge foundation necessary for the long-term development of the art form.

At Dao Thuc puppetry guild in Thu Lam commune, Hanoi, guild head Dang Minh Hung expressed concern that despite annual training courses funded by the city, young participants rarely pursue puppetry as a long-term career after completing their studies. Limited remuneration for artisans and irregular performance opportunities make it difficult to retain practitioners and sustain the craft.

Vietnamese puppetry also faces pressure to adapt to modern lifestyles, particularly amid growing competition from diverse entertainment forms. Current audiences are largely international visitors, with water puppetry drawing the greatest attention thanks to its uniqueness as a folk theatre form found only in Vietnam. Domestic audiences, however, remain limited, except for schoolchildren who attend performances through educational programmes.

Experts suggest that for puppetry to remain relevant in contemporary cultural life, greater attention should be given to developing creative cultural spaces within traditional puppetry villages — the very places where the heritage originated and where performance practices and storytelling traditions have been passed down through generations.

Hung emphasised the need for stronger institutional support, including investment in equipment, upgraded facilities, and improved policies to support artisans in practising, preserving and transmitting their craft.

Many experts also stress the urgency for local authorities to systematically review, document and preserve traditional puppet repertoires as a foundation for research, education and creative innovation.

Meritorious Artist Le Van Ngo, former Director of the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre, noted that preservation efforts should not focus solely on the 17 classical performances currently staged in urban theatres, while hundreds of traditional plays still exist in folk communities. With many guilds now unable to produce puppets themselves and forced to rent them, he proposed increased investment in puppet craftsmanship and the establishment of dedicated preservation centres to archive historical materials and traditional puppet designs for future generations.

Regarding audience development, People’s Artist Trinh Thuy Mui, Chairwoman of the Vietnam Theatre Artists Association, underscored that introducing puppetry into schools is a sustainable solution to nurture young audiences’ appreciation for the art form. Theatres and puppetry guilds should harness creativity to bring cultural and historical lessons to life on stage in ways that resonate with students.

With its distinctive storytelling language and strong visual appeal, Vietnamese puppetry holds significant potential to become part of the cultural industry value chain. With systematic investment and innovation, the art form could evolve into a defining cultural brand of Vietnam./.