Phu Quoc unveils first on beach puppet theater in Vietnam​

The Vietnamese puppet art program "Tray Hoi Mua Xuan" (Spring Celebration) will be held in Sunset Town, Phu Quoc, aiming to showcase Vietnam's intangible cultural heritage to both domestic and foreign tourists.

"Tray Hoi Mua Xuan" is a free 30-minute show to be performed daily from 7:30 p.m. at Sunset Town Beach from 15th February 2024.

After each show, visitors can experience puppetry, chat with elite artists, and learn more about this type of stage performance art.

The program is invested in by Sun Group, directly produced by People's Artist Nguyen Tien Dung, Director of Vietnam Puppet Theater, and performed by Vietnam Puppet Theater, one of the largest and leading puppetry art centers in Vietnam.

Vietnam dragon puppet with the Kiss Bridge - a new icon of Phu Quoc Island

The eight-part performance tells the story of the productive working life and beliefs of Vietnamese people, bringing viewers into the flow of Vietnamese culture, discovering the beauty of the spring festival, the working life of rice farming, as well as spiritual culture and Vietnamese beliefs.

There is also the appearance of a quai thao hat metaphorically resembling moonlight or a boat on water.

The puppet show in Phu Quoc is an intersection between tradition and contemporary art, creating a new but still close and familiar experience for the audience.

Nguyen Tien Dung said the festival combines many different types of art and performances, such as land puppetry, water puppetry, and dance art.

As for the music, the audience will also listen to “cheo”singing and “chau van” singing.

A special highlight lies in the final performance, "Hello Vietnam," with new harmonies using the flute, and gourd and drums. These traditional musical instruments will be combined with the ao dai dance and conical hats.

"Tray Hoi Mua Xuan" will be performed for the first time at a water pavilion on the beach in Vietnam. Photo courtesy of Vietnam Puppet Theater

One of the things that makes "Tray Hoi Mua Xuan" unique is the water pavilion that simulates Thay Pagoda. This is the most ancient pagoda in Hanoi and the founding stage of Vietnamese water puppetry.

The architectural and artistic relics of the Ly Dynasty promise to be a highlight in the poetic picture Hoang Hon Town.

Before Phu Quoc, artists at the Vietnam Water Puppet Theater brought this Vietnamese intangible cultural heritage to 70 countries and territories around the world.

The Vietnamese puppet art program "Tray Hoi Mua Xuan" (Spring Celebration) will be held in Sunset Town, Phu Quoc from 15th February

People’s Artist Dung said that from the first conversations, they felt in harmony with Sun Group. Both sides desired to bring traditional culture into tourism.

He and the artists at the theater were happy to perform in Sunset Town, which gathers many other art forms with many international tourists.

"We can introduce the age-old theater art to tourists so that all nationalities and ages can learn more about the country and people of Vietnam. In particular, we Vietnamese people also understand more about the value of traditional cultural arts and are proud of our international friends," Dung said.

Sunset Town brings together high-class art shows such as "Kiss of the Sea" combined with nightly artistic fireworks performances

The puppet performances, along with other unique art shows at the multi-million-dollar entertainment complex in Sunset Town, help visitors increase their experience, contributing to honoring and bringing back traditional values and bringing Vietnamese culture closer to the world.