Water world: Water puppets depict a traditional Vietnamese festival. Performances of water puppetry were held in Cuba at the weekend. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Tung

HA NOI — Audiences in Havana have been mesmerised by Vietnamese water puppetry, performed in the country for the first time.

At the invitation of the Cuban Ministry of Culture, a troupe of 12 artists from the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre participated at the Havana Puppetry Festival from Friday to Sunday.

The unique water puppetry shows focused on Vietnamese farming life such as dragon dances, buffalo fighting, fishing and rice harvesting, narrated by a comic puppet named Teu.

"The performances not only helped Cubans learn more about Vietnamese culture, but also strengthened the special friendship between the two countries," said Vietnamese Ambassador Vu Chi Cong.

"Through the puppets, the Vietnamese people send a message of peace, prosperity and happiness."

Fernando Rojas, deputy minister of the Cuban Culture Ministry, said his people had long dreamed of enjoying the over-thousand-year-old Vietnamese tradition.

He agreed with Cong that the performances proved Viet Nam and Cuba's co-operative friendship in different fields.

With tickets for the planned six performances sold out one week prior to the festival, two more shows were added due to popular demand.

Tran Quoc Chiem, deputy director of the Ha Noi Culture, Sports and Tourism Department, who led the troupe to Cuba, said he was extremely impressed by their response in the country, in which more shows will definitely be held in future.

Founded in 1969, the capital's famous Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre has brought the Vietnamese art form to many countries around the world. — VNS