Photos of water puppetry on display

Audiences watch an outdoor water puppetry performance - Photo: Courtesy of Idécaf

A photographic exhibition on water puppetry by journalist Nguyen Hong Ha will be at the Institute for Cultural Exchange with France (Idécaf), 31 Thai Van Lung Street, HCMC’s District 1, November 2-4.

Ha will display over 50 photos with information about the traditional art-form that could date more than 2000 years.

Nguyen Hong Nga has won 21 local and 8 international artistic photo awards since 1988. She releases annual photo collection books every year in collaboration with Hai Au photography club.

According to folk legend, water puppetry had its origins during the dynasty of King An Duong Vuong back in 255BC. But the earliest documentary evidence is from the Ly dynasty in 1121.

Water puppetry is performed at festivals, holidays or Tet using lacquered wooden puppets on a stage made from a waist-deep pool of water. On Monday’s Vietnam water puppetry is a unique variation on the ancient Asian puppet tradition and is considered an intangible heritage of Vietnamese people.

In 1992, the municipal Thang Long Puppet Company returned 17 traditional water puppet stories to the stage attracting local and foreign tourists.

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Calendar display shows a year of good wishes

Chinese books discounted at Phuong Nam Bookstore

Phuong Nam Printing Company, will display their latest Tet calendars at the student club at HCMC Medical University from September 9 to 16.

The calendars are not just for telling the day and decorating the house but also to express good wishes for the New Year.

Calendars that contain wishes for success are Vuon toi thanh cong (Achieving success), Mua Vang (Golden season), Dong hoa mat troi (Sun flower field). Wishes for promotion are presented in Hoa vuon cao (High rising flower), Vuon len (Rising), Duong den tuong lai (Way to the Future) and Dieu bay (Flying kite) has wishes for a good future.

Wish for wealth are in Phat tai phat loc (Good talent and prosperity) and Loc xanh (Green bud).

Hoa vui (Happy flowers), Le hoi dan gian (Folk festival), Meo vui dua (Cats playing together) or Tro choi dan gian (Folk games) all have wishes for happiness. Visitors to the display at 2A Le Duan Boulevard in HCMC’s District 1 will see many other wishes for peace, love and good luck.

*Phuong Nam Book Company will have a clearance sale of Chinese books at the Phuong Nam Bookstore at 105 Tran Hung Dao B Street, HCMC’s District 5 from September 9 to 19.

Over 20,000 Chinese book titles in many subjects like history, literature, medicine, fiction stories, children books and dictionaries will be discounted. 10,000 titles will have prices reduced by VND5,000 to VND50,000.

In total VND3 billion worth of books will go on sale.

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