Coincidentally, the Old Quarter's worst source of light pollution was our best bet for the night. On the north shore of Hoan Kiem, emblazoned with candy-colored neon marquees, stands the Thanh Long Water Puppet Theater. At the front of the room was an artificial pond, surrounded by colorful curtains and a sort of miniature village. A platform stage to the right supported four musicians, sitting behind traditional Vietnamese instruments. They unfurled banners, spewed fireworks and created general havoc.
Water puppetry is an art unique to Vietnam.
It started centuries ago, and was originally performed in actual ponds. The entire performance, which took only an hour, was a series of disconnected vignettes. The short skits were clearly intended for kids, and their manic energy, fireworks and simple themes reminded me strongly of their Western equivalent. All rights reserved.