Hai Phong brings traditional puppetry to the streets.

As part of the key activities commemorating the 71st anniversary of the Liberation of Hai Phong (May 13, 1955 - May 13, 2026) and the Hai Phong Red Phoenix Flower Festival 2026, the 4th Hai Phong Expanded Puppet Festival 2026 will be held from May 8-12 with the participation of more than 3,000 artists, actors, and artisans.

Leaders of the Hai Phong Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism congratulated the delegations participating in the festival.

The festival features 10 professional theaters, art units, and representative water puppet troupes from Hai Phong, Hanoi , and Ho Chi Minh City.

Opening the festival on the evening of May 9th, Vu Dinh Tien, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Hai Phong, said that puppetry, especially Vietnamese water puppetry, is a unique cultural heritage, embodying the wisdom, soul, and identity of the Vietnamese people through hundreds of years of history.

The festival features 10 professional theaters, art units, and representative water puppet troupes from Hai Phong, Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh City.

Organizing this festival is an important prerequisite for gradually building a scientific dossier, aiming towards submitting it to UNESCO for recognition of water puppetry as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

A puppet show was performed during the festival's opening ceremony.

Right at the opening ceremony, the audience and visitors enjoyed spectacular artistic performances such as: The Dragon and the Immortal Descendants, Water Puppet Festival, Harvest Day, Puppet Storytelling on the Perfume River (Hue Imperial Court - Phoenix Dance), Southern Lotus Fragrance, Puppet Play "Beloved Truong Sa", Xam "Thang Long Soars"...

The highlight of the festival is the spectacular water puppet performances at the water pavilion stage in front of the Hai Phong City Film and Exhibition Center.

The festival features diverse programs such as puppet shows, puppet performances, community interaction activities, and a large-scale art parade.

The highlight of the festival is the spectacular water puppet performances at the water pavilion stage in front of the City Cinema and Exhibition Center on May 8th, 10th, and 11th.

The festival will close on May 12th.

XUAN TRUONG

Source: https://nhandan.vn/hai-phong-dua-mua-roi-truyen-thong-ra-pho-post961196.html