The 2024 International Puppet Festival will be held in Hanoi in October, bringing together troupes from around the world, as well as public and private troupes in Vietnam.

Students from puppetry training institutions will also take part in the festival. The troupes participating in the festival will perform at various venues in Hanoi.

A puppet show performed by artists from the Vietnam Puppetry Theater. Photo: Minh Giang/The Hanoi Times

The event aims to promote cooperation in the field of culture and arts between Vietnam and other countries. It will provide an opportunity for artists from the host country to introduce the value of Vietnamese puppet art to the international public, and for arts managers and Vietnamese puppet artists to exchange experiences with foreign peers.

It will promote Vietnam's image as a beautiful and welcoming country and people, rich in culture and history, a safe destination for international tourists, and a country whose scenic spots have been declared World Heritage Sites by the UNESCO.

It also aims to find works of high quality through the types of shows performed at the festival, including water puppets, shadow puppets and stick puppets.

According to the organizing committee, gold and silver prizes will be awarded to the best shows, while artists and troupes with unique creativity will receive secondary awards.

Vietnamese water puppetry is a unique folk art, believed to be over 1,000 years old. A travel guide says: “Not watching a performance of water puppetry means not visiting Vietnam yet.” Vietnamese water puppetry has been introduced to many countries around the world and has received positive feedback from audiences. Foreign tourists to Vietnam enjoy the shows without needing to understand the Vietnamese language, as the puppets skilfully demonstrate the rural life and culture of Vietnam through their actions.