PUPPET (THUY DINH) SHOWERS' ROOM
This room for water puppet shows is the oldest of those preserved intact to the present day.
In the past, puppet shows on water (rôi nuoc), very popular in the Red River Delta, were performed in the ponds and small ponds of the villages, in temporary wooden and bamboo constructions. But sometimes, as here at the Thây pagoda, a permanent theatre was built. This room is the oldest of all those preserved intact until today. Built around the 16th and 17th centuries on Lake Long Chiêu, opposite the pagoda, it has a roof with two superimposed levels, resting on four massive wooden columns and covered with tiles known as "end of sandals". The thuj dinh is divided into three unequal pieces. The floor of the central room, the largest, is under water. This is where the manipulators stand, feet in the water, to operate the puppets. In the side rooms, with a floor above the water, stand the director, the orchestra, the puppets that are not used and the props. The walls of the side rooms are pierced with a dormer window representing the Tho character of longevity. During the performances, a bamboo blind hides the activity of the performers from the public. The scene, that is to say the water, is constantly moving. It undulates with the wind, reflects shapes and colours, and is decorated with aquatic plants and duckweed. This is one of the special attractions of the theatre on the water.
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