HA NOI — Thousands of French people had a chance to enjoy the unique art of Vietnamese water puppetry when the Viet Nam Water Puppetry Theatre (VNWPT) toured France recently.

The troupe staged 30 shows in eight major cities in the second largest country in Europe, five of which were for children.

According to vice director of the VNWPT Nguyen Tien Dung, the tour was to present The Master of Puppets – part of a cultural exchange project between the Vietnamese theatre and the Bordeaux Grand Theatre.

Directed by Dominique Pitoiset of the Bordeaux Grand Theatre, the play was performed by nine artists from the VNWPT. In addition, the performances were accompanied by traditional music played by People's Artist Thanh Hoai.

A 20,000-litre mobile pond was constructed for the shows.

The tour aimed to introduce Vietnamese water puppetry to French audiences while helping preserve the unique art form. – VNS