The Little Match Girl puppet show will take place over Christmas and New Year in Hanoi. Photo thanglongwaterpuppet.com

The shows entitled Our World and The Little Match Girl are made by Meritorious Artists Duc Hung and Le Thu Huyen showcasing a combination of water puppet art; dance and snow spraying technology.

In Vietnam water puppetry has been performed on a stage made from pools of water for a thousand years.

Puppets are made of wood and controlled from the chamber next to the stage by the strings and underwater nests.

“With the purpose of performing the unique art of Hanoi and attracting tourists, the shows are characterised with traditional features,” said NSUT Duc Hung.

"Our World combines characters from Vietnamese fairy tales such as Bụt (Buddha) and Santa Clause so that Vietnamese audience and foreign tourists can feel the harmony of East-West cultures."

The show also includes many characters that are familiar with children in animated films such as Elsa, Anna, Snow White and Seven Dwarfs, and Cinderella.

Based on Danish writer Andersen's, The Little Match Girl was directed by Huyen using snow spraying technology. Snowflakes falling down and then melt on the stage will impress little audience in the show.

The magical matchsticks made dream of the little girl come true. She has beautiful clothes and embarks on an exciting adventure in the ocean.

But what she needs most is her mother's love. And her mother come to pick her up to a place where she would live happily ever.

Director Huyen has modernised the old story with new and meaningful messages.

The Thang Long Water Puppet is one of the leading water puppet performers in Hanoi. It celebrated the 50th anniversary in October. VNS

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