Thang Long Water Puppet Show Ticket, Hanoi

Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre

The Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre stands on the north-eastern shore of Hoan Kiem Lake, at the edge of Hanoi's Old Quarter. Its troupe was founded in 1969 and has since performed around the world, helping to save an art that had nearly disappeared. The auditorium is compact, with steep rows of seats facing a square pool of water that serves as the stage, and a pagoda-style screen behind it that hides the puppeteers.

The art itself goes back roughly a thousand years, to the villages of the Red River Delta. After the rice harvest, farmers would set up a stage in the village pond and entertain their neighbours with puppets that seemed to walk on water. Many visitors ask if the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre is worth visiting: for anyone curious about Vietnamese culture it is a charming, unique experience that takes less than an hour.

Inside the Show

The performance is a series of short scenes. Farmers plant rice and herd buffalo, fishermen chase fish with baskets, children swim and play, and a cheeky narrator puppet called Teu introduces each story. Then come the legends: golden dragons spitting water and fire, a phoenix dance, a unicorn playing with a ball, and the tale of the magic sword returned to the golden turtle of Hoan Kiem Lake, which gives the lake its name.

The puppets are carved from fig wood and lacquered in bright colours. Hidden behind the bamboo screen, puppeteers stand waist-deep in the water and move them with long rods and strings under the surface, so the figures appear to swim on their own. On the side of the stage, musicians play the monochord, the zither, drums and bamboo flutes, and sing in the traditional cheo style. The songs are in Vietnamese, but the action is easy to follow without words.

Tickets, Show Times and Seats

The theatre runs several shows a day, and the Thang Long water puppet show times offered here are 15:00, 16:10, 17:20, 18:30 and 20:00. Evening shows sell out quickly, especially at weekends and during holidays, which is why a reserved ticket is useful. You collect your tickets 30 minutes before the show at the ticket exchange office on Hang Quat Street in the Old Quarter, just a few minutes' walk from the theatre.

The VIP rows 1 to 6 are closest to the water, giving the best view of the puppets' details and the splashes; deluxe rows 7 to 11 sit in the middle and standard rows 12 to 16 at the back. Enter at least 15 minutes before the start, as latecomers are not admitted. Flash photography is forbidden, and an audio guide in several languages can be rented at the theatre.

Hoan Kiem Lake and the Old Quarter

The theatre is perfectly placed for an evening in central Hanoi. Hoan Kiem Lake, the 'Lake of the Returned Sword', is the city's favourite meeting place, with the red Huc Bridge leading to Ngoc Son Temple on its small island and the Turtle Tower rising from the water. In the evening the lakeside is lit up and full of families enjoying the cool air.

North of the lake spreads the Old Quarter, a maze of narrow lanes whose names still recall the crafts once sold there, such as silk, silver, paper and herbs. On weekend evenings the streets around the lake become pedestrian zones with music and street performers. Many travellers combine the water puppet show with dinner nearby; Hanoi also has several halal restaurants close to the Old Quarter, and we are happy to suggest one.