Opening of the 2nd Hai Phong Puppetry Festival in 2024

On the afternoon of May 7, at the square of Hai Phong City Theater, the parade and opening ceremony of the 2nd Hai Phong Puppetry Festival in 2024 took place. This is an event to preserve and promote the unique cultural and artistic values ​​of traditional puppetry of the Vietnamese people, responding to the Red Flamboyant Festival "Hai Phong - Light up the heritage land".

Leaders attending the program

Attending the program were People's Artist Trinh Thuy Mui, President of the Vietnam Stage Artists Association; Comrade Dao Khanh Ha, Member of the Standing Committee of the City Party Committee, Head of the City Party Committee's Propaganda Department; along with comrades representing leaders of relevant departments, branches, sectors, units and a large number of artists and art lovers in the city.

Comrade Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy, Head of Hai Phong Puppetry Art Troupe, delivered the opening speech of the Festival.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Festival, comrade Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy, Head of the Hai Phong Puppetry Art Troupe, said: Hai Phong city is a land of "geomancy and talent", rich in historical, cultural and revolutionary traditions. Over thousands of years of history, a diverse, rich and unique system of cultural and artistic heritage has been forged, crystallized and exists in Hai Phong. Hai Phong is also known as the land of traditional folk festivals, with good customs and practices. The forms of folk performances have their own unique characteristics, typically the Do Son Buffalo Fighting Festival, Thuy Nguyen Du Singing, Xam Singing, Ca Tru and especially the traditional art of Water Puppetry...

The work of building and developing literature and art in Hai Phong City has received special attention. The values ​​of tangible and intangible cultural heritages have been promoted, invested in, preserved and spread strongly. For literature and art to have vitality and flourishing development, Hai Phong has been persistent with many policies, plans and practical action programs, paying attention to comprehensive and right-directed investment. In particular, Hai Phong has early had preferential policies for artisans and artists. They are "living treasures" who are practicing and passing on the heritages that their ancestors have worked hard to create every day, in order to preserve and promote the values ​​of literature and art in contemporary society, serving the goals of socio- economic development and tourism development.

Through the 2nd Hai Phong Puppetry Festival, Hai Phong city hopes to turn this event into a large-scale cultural and tourism activity, aiming to build Hai Phong cultural and tourism products and brands on the basis of the nation's cultural and artistic values. Promote exchange activities, create opportunities to connect cultural heritage with localities across the country. Strengthen the spirit of solidarity, cohesion, cooperation and development.

Leaders presented flowers to units participating in the parade.

The festival takes place from May 7 to 11, 2024, at the City Theater Square and Hang Kenh Communal House with the participation of leading puppet theaters in Vietnam such as: Vietnam Puppetry Theater, Thang Long Puppetry Theater (Hanoi); Sen Viet Art Troupe; Puppetry Troupe of Ninh Binh Provincial Art Theater; Quang Ninh Puppetry Theater; host team Hai Phong Puppetry Art Troupe; with the presence of ancient puppet troupes such as: Nhan Hoa, Dong Minh (Vinh Bao district), Dao Thuc (Dong Anh, Hanoi), Luy Lau (Bac Ninh), Phu Tho... with many genres: water puppets, string puppets, stick puppets, mask puppets, disguised puppets, foot puppets, belly puppets...

Performances at the opening ceremony of the Festival

After the opening ceremony of the Festival, art units showed their talents through puppet shows such as: Pretty Bamboo Tree, Red Ban Flower, Swan Lake, folk dance "Beautiful Vietnam", Spring Festival, Flamenco, Jumping to the Market, The Little Girl of the Mountains...

Before the opening ceremony, many artists, actors, artisans and children with their units' typical costumes and props participated in a parade through several streets in the city center.

Parades through the streets

The festival brings to the people of the Port City a unique spiritual gift to celebrate the 69th anniversary of Hai Phong's liberation and the Hai Phong Red Flamboyant Festival 2024. At the same time, it introduces unique cultural products to foreign visitors, helping them to feel more deeply about the cultural life and people of Vietnam , thereby enhancing the spread and prestige of Vietnamese culture in the international arena.

Hong Nhung - Dam Thanh

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