Vietnamese water puppetry – A highlight at the Sithan 2025 International Festival in Thailand
WVR - From November 3 to 5, the Sithan 2025 Festival took place at Khon Kaen University, recognized as the largest international cultural event in Northeast Thailand. This year's festival gathered dozens of traditional art troupes from both domestic and international origins, participating in parades, music and dance performances, and showcasing various unique cultural forms.
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| Consul General Dinh Hoang Linh (in black) and Lao Consul Somsack Vilaythone, along with leaders of Khon Kaen Province and Khon Kaen University. |
Over three days, the event attracted more than 300,000 spectators who came to experience and enjoy the diverse cultural atmosphere of countries in the region.
For the first time participating in the International Puppetry Festival within the framework of the Sithan 2025 International Festival, the artists from the Vietnam Water Puppet Theater delivered a successful performance, leaving a profound impression of folk stage art, one of the distinctive products of Vietnam's wet rice culture.
The water puppetry acts narrated simple stories of rural life through the graceful movements of wooden puppets on water. Thai audiences, overseas Vietnamese, and international friends were led into a vibrant world with the humorous Tễu character, scenes of fishing, rice planting, village festivals, and lively folk dances. Many experienced this unique art form for the first time, where the water surface becomes a stage and the skillful hands of artists tell folk tales through the language of puppets.
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| Consul General Dinh Hoang Linh and his wife, Chinese Consul General in Thailand Liu Hongmei (in black in the center) with overseas Vietnamese and artists from the Vietnam Water Puppet Theater. |
In addition to water puppetry, modern puppetry acts combining light, music, and stage techniques showcased the vitality of Vietnamese puppetry art in contemporary flows. Performances like "Harvest Festival Fun", "Spring Festival Procession", and "Spiritual Dance" created a harmonious bridge between tradition and modernity, reflecting the creative and integrative spirit of Vietnamese artists.
The program is a result of collaboration between the Vietnamese Consulate General in Khon Kaen, Khon Kaen University, and the Vietnam Water Puppet Theater, vividly demonstrating the role of cultural diplomacy in promoting Vietnam-Thailand friendship and cooperation. Leaders of Khon Kaen University and the Organizing Committee highly appreciated and welcomed the participation of the Vietnamese delegation. Their proactive engagement, prominently showcasing Vietnam's traditional culture, contributed to enriching and enhancing the appeal of the Sithan 2025 Festival, while also reflecting Vietnam's proactive spirit of cooperation and cultural exchange with regional countries.
For the Vietnamese community in Thailand, the program by the Vietnam Water Puppet Theater was not only an opportunity to enjoy homeland art but also stirred pride in national cultural traditions – a sacred flow connecting overseas Vietnamese with the homeland.
Some images from the Festival.
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| Vietnamese Consul General in Khon Kean Dinh Hoang Linh (fourth from right) and the Vietnamese art troupe participating in the International Puppetry Festival within the framework of the Sithan 2025 International Festival. |
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(Source: Consulate General of Vietnam in Khon Kaen, Thailand)
