![vietnamese water puppetry symbolism vietnamese water puppetry symbolism](https://usercontent1.hubstatic.com/3111994_50.jpg)
The story is as informative as it is heartwarming. It now is nominated to be a UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage. The arrival of three other mythical creatures, the unicorn, phoenix and tortoise, represent qualities required for village dwellers to preserve prosperity and good health. Vietnam’s water puppetry is a notable form of art performance in Vietnam and has been widely introduced to international community. Exciting background music combined with amazing stage of living puppets and colorful flags bring audience a bustling ambiance of traditional festival in the country. To assist puppeteers in puppetry performance, there is an orchestra which plays traditional instruments such as vocals, drums, wooden bells, cymbals, horns, erhu (Chinese two-stringed fiddle), and bamboo flutes. To do this work, puppeteers have to stand in cold water for hours. Puppeteers stand all behind the screen and control puppets performing a play or a dance through a long string mechanism under water surface. Water stages are usually built on small pool, and resemble a temple with a split-bamboo screen.
![vietnamese water puppetry symbolism vietnamese water puppetry symbolism](https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B6AQU-VOuaU/TldgHiLFl4I/AAAAAAAAAOg/zl6k8pmM2nE/s1600/DSC02562.jpg)
Differ from other kinds of puppetry in the world that perform on ground stage, Vietnam’s water puppetry is performed on water stage. The unique feature of Vietnam’s water puppetry is its stage. “Teu” has the love of many generations of Vietnamese people and has become a symbol of water puppetry. “Teu” is a little boy that plays the role of narrator and joker, as well as represents the masses. The puppet called “Teu” usually has a plump body and lovely face. On the stage of water puppetry, there is a famous and outstanding character named “Teu”. Finally, living puppets are completed and ready for the performance. Then, those blocks will be connected in a system and painted by many colors. Logs are sophisticatedly carved to have different blocks. This kind of wood is featured with light weight and flexibility that makes it easy to control. Puppets used in water puppetry are made from a special kind of wood named “sung”. Over centuries of forming and developing, water puppetry has become typical form of art performance in the North. Vietnam's water puppetry (so-called "Mua Roi Nuoc" in Vietnamese) is an old form of puppetry that originated from wet rice civilization in the Red River Delta in Northern Vietnam during Ly Dynasty (1010 - 1225).