(Labor and Social Affairs) - The rhythmic drumming and gong sounds urged on the air in bursts, spectacular fireworks displays and flag-opening fireworks rang out, and puppets skillfully appeared and disappeared on the water's surface.
Beneath the curved red tiled roof of the water puppet theater, water puppetry is a treasure trove preserving the folk culture of Northern Vietnam, a vibrant embodiment of human values in the spiritual life of the villages in the Red River Delta.
For the people of Ban Thach village (also known as Rach village), Hong Quang commune, Nam Truc district, Nam Dinh province , the art of water puppetry has been a source of pride and a spiritual nourishment for generations.
Breathing life into the "character"
According to the elders in the village, in 1755, Mr. Mai Van Kha, a craftsman, gathered people in the village who knew how to perform puppetry and established a water puppet troupe, then called the Nam Chan puppet troupe (the village of Rach was formerly known as the Nam Chan area). Having skills in statue carving and lacquer painting, the villagers created their own puppets such as: Uncle Teu, fairies, dragon, lion, turtle, and phoenix puppets…
The people of Rach village still pass down stories to their descendants about Mr. Pham Van Truc - one of the people who carved beautiful puppets and came up with many interesting tricks; and Mr. Pham Van Nhuong - who composed stories and wrote beautiful songs...
Artisan Phan Tien Huu, head of the Ban Thach water puppet troupe, is tasked with looking after the collection of ancient puppets located next to the water pavilion. The collection contains thousands of characters, and Mr. Huu can name them, describe their stories, and even remember the age of each character. He says he doesn't know the exact total number of puppets in the collection because he's never done a proper count, and he's certain no one would dare touch anything there.
According to the elders' traditions, during festivals, the puppets stored in the warehouse would be brought out to perform at the water pavilion. Any damaged puppets would be repaired, and those so badly infested with termites that they couldn't be repaired would be respectfully reported to the tutelary deity before being burned in a ritual.
It is because of this sacred "quality" that, even in the dilapidated, old warehouse, there are still puppets hundreds of years old. Although the paint has faded, and many details are chipped and worn down by time, the carved lines and details remain incredibly soft and delicate...
The puppets are carved with stylized details before being polished, buffed, and decorated with various colors of paint to create the personality of each character. Puppet artist Phan Van Manh is one of the few people in Rach village who both performs puppet shows and directly makes the puppets.
Born into a family with a seven-generation tradition of water puppetry, and guided by his father, along with his innate talent and passion, artisan Phan Van Manh has created many puppets.
“Water puppets are products of folk wood carving art, both rich in realism and rustic, lyrical. Making these puppets requires many steps, demanding meticulousness and skill from the craftspeople. The unique feature of Nam Chấn puppets is that they are made from fig wood and lacquer, making them easy to manipulate underwater,” said artisan Phan Văn Mạnh.
To create a complete puppet, eight steps are required: molding, drying, setting, grinding, priming, painting the handle, gilding, and coloring. Each painting step is spaced five days apart. Finally, the puppets are polished, buffed, and decorated. Common water puppets used in performances include characters like Teu, fairies, farmers, and fishermen.
Among them, the most representative character is Uncle Teu, with his chubby body and mischievous smile, symbolizing the cheerfulness and optimism of farmers in their agricultural work.
The smooth movement of the puppets during a performance also depends on the technique of assembling the mechanisms and controlling the puppet strings.
Water puppetry mechanisms are divided into two basic types: pole mechanisms and string mechanisms, which are responsible for moving the puppets and creating actions for the characters. To meet market demand, artisans in Rach village also craft many small puppets as souvenirs for visitors attending the performances.
Linked to tourism development
In the past, the puppet troupe of Rach village used to perform in the village pond. The villagers used the pond as a practice area and set up a puppet theater to entertain the villagers during festivals.
Whenever the puppet troupe performed, people of all ages, men and women, would call each other to go watch, making the village atmosphere more lively than usual. The performance booth was made of bamboo, and the screen was a green cloth embroidered with the four characters "Quốc trung hữu Thánh," meaning "loyal to the country and devoted to the Saint."
Every year, on the 16th day of the first lunar month, the village holds a puppet show to honor the merits of the village's guardian deity, and also to remind descendants to remember the contributions of the founders of the craft.
In 1987, the village built a water pavilion spanning over 2,000 square meters to facilitate performances.
The water pavilion was built opposite the village communal house in Rach. The unique feature of the water pavilion is that its columns and beams are all made of polished black ironwood, its eight roofs are covered with ancient, moss-covered southern-style tiles, and its eight eaves are sculpted in the shape of dragons spouting water, symbolizing the refreshing water of the heavens that nourishes the souls of the water puppetry artists and ensures the lake never runs dry.
Next to the water pavilion is a display and preservation area for the puppets. Visitors can see firsthand the products created by the skillful hands of the artisans. After visiting the craft village, tourists will have the opportunity to enjoy a water puppet show.
Under the skillful hands of the villagers of Rach, the puppet dances spring from the water's surface, vibrant and lifelike. The people of Rach, accustomed to working in the low-lying, flooded areas, cleverly utilize the dynamism of the water to enhance the puppets' movements, eliminating the rigidity of the wood and creating a lively and boisterous puppet performance.
Like other puppet troupes, the puppet shows of Rach village mainly recreate agricultural activities and cultural life of the inhabitants of the Northern Delta.
Images of farming, animal husbandry, hunting, weaving, or festive activities such as book processions, buffalo fighting, swinging, or performances praising animistic beliefs like dragon dances and lion dances... are skillfully and expertly recreated by the artisans, creating a captivating appeal for viewers.
The puppet troupes of Rach village currently have nearly 1,000 puppets performing over 40 different stories. These farmer-puppet artisans from Rach village have brought their ancestral art form beyond the village boundaries, performing for National Assembly delegates; in France and Italy; and at the Ho Tay Water Park in Hanoi to welcome the 9th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam...
Over time, the traditional water puppetry of Rach village seemed on the verge of disappearing. However, the strong vitality inherent in this art form was once again revived by the people of Rach village, with many stories restored and improved, creating captivating performances such as: Le Loi's uprising, Tran Hung Dao's victory over the Nguyen Dynasty, Trung Trac and Trung Nhi, riding a fish to offer flowers, milling rice and pounding grain…
With the development of modern life, the Rach village water puppet troupe faces many opportunities and challenges in preserving and maintaining its traditional craft. Besides touring, the puppet troupes have introduced and promoted the local culture to tourists. Many domestic and international groups have visited Rach village to learn more about this art form.
The performance of puppetry and the income it generates are not only good news for the people of Rach village but also an opportunity for local craft village tourism. However, Rach village's puppetry is at risk of lacking a successor generation to carry on the craft. Rach village has nearly 1,000 inhabitants, but only about 40 people know how to perform puppetry. These people are usually middle-aged or elderly.
Although the village's tradition of keeping secrets and not accepting women as members has been broken today, and instead anyone who loves and wants to learn puppetry is taught by the village artisans, very few actually want to learn the craft. Young people in the village only join the puppet troupe when they haven't found a job yet. When they find a job with a higher income, they ask to leave the troupe.
In recent years, educational institutions in Nam Dinh province have collaborated with the puppet troupes of Rach village to implement a program introducing water puppetry into schools.
In 2023, the People's Committee of Hong Quang commune provided 200 million VND to renovate the water pavilion; at the same time, it created all conditions to help puppet troupes participate in performances to serve the needs of people inside and outside the commune, helping to maintain the preservation of long-standing cultural activities.
Khanh Van
Labor and Social Affairs Newspaper No. 2
Source: https://dansinh.dantri.com.vn/nhan-luc/doc-dao-phuong-roi-nuoc-co-o-mien-bac-20250103101915787.htm
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