Water puppet show: Legend of Yet Kieu

In May 2025, at the water puppet stage inside the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of History (No. 2 Nguyen Binh Khiem Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City), Phuong Nam Arts Theater will introduce 21 performances of the water puppet play Legend of Yet Kieu (artistic direction: Meritorious Artist Le Ich Dien, scriptwriter: Master Thanh Hiep, director: Master Tran Duoc, music : Meritorious Artist Nguyen Quang Hung, puppet design and modeling: painter Hoang Duy Dong - Van Trien). The play features the following actors: Thanh Doan, Van Lai, Van Luan, Thanh Phuong, Phu Cuong, Thanh Binh, Trung Hieu, Thanh Phuong, Hoai Nam, Le Trang, Chi Cuong...

The Legend of Yet Kieu recreates the story of Yet Kieu, a talented general of Hung Dao Vuong Tran Quoc Tuan, who helped the Tran Dynasty fight against the Yuan-Mongol army in the 13th century. His real name was Pham Huu The, from Ha Bi village, Yet Kieu commune, Gia Loc district, now Hai Duong province. According to legend, he used his excellent diving skills to approach and puncture many enemy warships, causing heavy losses to the Yuan-Mongol army...

The water puppet show opens with a bustling festival scene in Ha Bi commune. The traditional festival day takes place with many joyful activities: dragon dance, lion dance, drum beating, boat racing, diving and fishing competition... During the festival, the handsome and strong young man Pham Huu The quickly won the diving and fishing competition. To contribute his talent and strength to life, Pham Huu The agreed to teach swimming and diving to many people, especially children... The good news spread far and wide, the Tran Dynasty sent people to the village to recruit Pham Huu The to join in fighting the enemy and protecting the country.

Faced with the situation of the Yuan-Mongol invaders invading our country, both on land and by water, Pham Huu The - Yet Kieu offered a plan to King Tran Nhan Tong and General Tran Hung Dao, wishing to personally take on the task of breaking the Yuan army's warships, to create a favorable opportunity for our army to attack the enemy. The talented and intelligent young man used his excellent swimming and diving skills to get past the soldiers protecting the enemy's ships, approach and break the enemy's warships. In one night, he broke 30 enemy ships, each ship had about 20 holes, and for each hole he punched, he used rolled up rags to plug the holes, the rolls of rags were tied together with a rope. Near dawn, when he had broken the predetermined number of ships, Yet Kieu pulled the rope so that the rag knots drifted out of the ships, causing dozens of enemy ships to sink. Having completed the task, he gently swam back to a safe location.

Having made many great contributions, Pham Huu The was given the title of "First Commander-in-Chief of the Tran Dynasty, Marquis, by the King". He was called Yet Kieu (the name of a large fish in ancient times) by the people and the Tran Dynasty's king and mandarins.

THUY BINH

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/vo-roi-nuoc-huyen-su-yet-kieu-post793688.html