Creating livelihoods from exploiting heritage values in Dao Thuc puppetry ward

The village pond-water pavilion space of Dao Thuc water puppetry village became lively when Uncle Ba Khi began his teaching performance in the exchange program, sharing experiences on heritage conservation in Dao Thuc village in particular, Thu Lam commune in general with officials working in the heritage field from 34 provinces and cities across the country.

The program is organized by the Department of Cultural Heritage (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) in coordination with the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports in early October 2025.

In other places, the water puppet character in charge of "hosting" the show is Uncle Teu, but in Dao Thuc it is Uncle Ba Khi. After the teaching act, the performances begin with continuous applause.

Vietnam currently has 14 traditional puppet troupes, but Dao Thuc is a rare troupe that maintains many different styles of puppet control at the same time, combining poles, strings and "machines", which are special tools for puppet control.

In particular, there are scenes that require high technique, for example, the story of a brave man fighting a tiger, a buffalo crawling through a pipe, setting off the flag and lighting firecrackers...

In the story of the brave warrior beating the tiger, the young man beheaded the fierce beast protecting the livestock and then carried the fierce tiger's head on his shoulder. Remotely controlling such movements requires high technique and professional know-how, so the applause and cheers were incessant.

The plays received a warm welcome from the audience.

However, what cultural officials are more concerned about is how, in the context of many social changes, Dao Thuc Water Puppetry Troupe not only does a good job of preservation, but also promotes heritage values in tourism activities .

Ms. Le Ngoc Cham, an official from the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Lai Chau province, shared: “After watching the program and talking with the artisans, I realized that the government and people of Dao Thuc have a new way of thinking about preserving and promoting heritage values. The Party Committee, government and people not only respect but also proactively seek ways to protect and promote the value of their homeland's cultural heritage. They maintain traditions by training the next generations, and turn heritage into attractive tourism products - from experiencing puppet making, buying puppets as souvenirs, to linking heritage with promoting local agricultural products and cuisine .”

Cheo singing is always accompanied by water puppet shows.

In fact, while most puppet troupes across the country struggle with heritage preservation, Dao Thuc water puppetry has long joined the cultural industry by exploiting and promoting its value in tourism services.
Like many other villages of the ancient Kinh Bac region, Dao Thuc has a long history. The art of water puppetry in Dao Thuc village has a history of formation and development of more than 300 years (1706-1729) taught by Mr. Dao Tuong Cong, alias Phuc Khiem, real name Nguyen Dang Vinh.

In 2023, Dao Thuc Water Puppetry art was included in the List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The brave warrior fights the tiger, a unique play by Dao Thuc.

Dao Thuc also experienced ups and downs, there were times when it seemed like the puppet troupe would no longer have a chance to perform. When the troupe was re-established, its activities continued to falter.

Dao Thuc puppetry artist Nguyen The Nghi said that more than ten years ago, when he was still a young artist, he and some young people in the village proposed to the village and ward leaders to change the method of operation, to proactively innovate, and approach tourism companies to welcome visitors.

Besides, young artisans like him have digitized communication and promotion work. After a period of “wearing out the tires” to travel companies, tourist groups began to come to the village.

Since then, Dao Thuc has also become a "tourist village".

The audience was enthralled by the performances.

After many ups and downs, Dao Thuc Water Puppetry Troupe has now affirmed its position in cultural and community tourism tours in Hanoi. Deputy Head of Dao Thuc Water Puppetry Troupe Nguyen Dac Phi excitedly said: "From now until the end of the year, there have been about 100 travel companies booking tours, setting specific times to bring visitors to visit and enjoy Dao Thuc water puppetry".

Artists immerse themselves in water for exciting performances.

The people's efforts were "resonated" with the multifaceted support of the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports and the former Dong Anh district government.

Since the transition to a two-level government model, Thu Lam commune government has always paid special attention to the work of protecting and promoting the value of traditional cultural heritage of the homeland. Because in Thu Lam commune there are a series of heritages such as: Ca tru Lo Khe, Tuong Xuan Non... the fake king procession festival at Sai temple, the son-in-law selection festival in Duong Yen are all National Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The representative of the People's Committee of Thu Lam commune said that in the coming time, the commune will focus on investing in building a 26.6-hectare Traditional Arts Performance Center in Dao Thuc, serving the needs of daily life, creation and promotion of typical folk art forms, including Dao Thuc water puppetry.

After the visit and experience sharing at Dao Thuc, many delegates agreed that Dao Thuc's approach should be popularized and replicated for many other heritages, because this is the most sustainable conservation solution, when people find a livelihood from their homeland's cultural heritage.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/tao-sinh-ke-tu-khai-thac-gia-tri-di-san-o-phuong-roi-dao-thuc-post915335.html