Widely seen as a cultural “speciality” for tourists, puppetry faces mounting challenges in both preservation and development. Rapid urbanisation has narrowed performance spaces for traditional water puppetry guilds. According to people’s artist Nguyen Hoang Tuan, chairman of the Hanoi Theatre Association, the number of guilds in northern Vietnam has fallen from 27 in 1986 to just 14 today, with many original scripts and plays lost.
A shortage of researchers, theorists and critics in theatre studies has further weakened the knowledge base needed for long-term development.
At Dao Thuc puppetry guild in Thu Lam Commune, Hanoi, guild head Dang Minh Hung said that despite annual training programmes funded by the city, few young participants pursue puppetry as a career. Low income and irregular performance schedules make it difficult to retain artisans and sustain the craft.
The art form is also under pressure to adapt to modern lifestyles, facing growing competition from other entertainment. Audiences are largely international visitors, with water puppetry drawing attention as a uniquely Vietnamese folk theatre form. Domestic audiences remain limited, apart from schoolchildren attending performances through educational programmes.
Experts say maintaining relevance will require developing creative cultural spaces within traditional puppetry villages, where the art originated and has been passed down through generations.
Hung called for stronger institutional support, including investment in equipment, upgraded facilities and improved policies to support artisans in preserving and transmitting their craft.
Many experts also stressed the need for authorities to systematically document and preserve traditional repertoires as a foundation for research, education and innovation.
Meritorious artist Le Van Ngo, former director of the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre, said preservation efforts should go beyond the 17 classical performances staged in urban venues, noting that hundreds of traditional plays remain in folk communities. With many guilds no longer able to produce puppets and forced to rent them, he proposed greater investment in craftsmanship and the establishment of dedicated preservation centres to archive materials and traditional designs.
On audience development, people’s artist Trinh Thuy Mui, chairwoman of the Vietnam Theatre Artists Association, said introducing puppetry into schools could help build long-term appreciation. She added that theatres and guilds should adopt more creative approaches to present cultural and historical stories in ways that resonate with younger audiences.
With its distinctive storytelling and strong visual appeal, Vietnamese puppetry has the potential to become part of the cultural industry value chain. With sustained investment and innovation, it could emerge as a defining cultural brand of Vietnam.