Representatives of the Việt Nam Puppet Theatre, Stage VN Company and HTD Group  in the cooperation contracts signing ceremony on October 29 in Hà Nôi. Photos of organisers

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese traditional puppetry is poised to captivate wider audiences after the Việt Nam Puppet Theatre signed major performance agreements with two partners during the ongoing Autumn Fair 2025 in Hà Nội.

The total value of the deals is VNĐ21 billion (US$796,000), including a VNĐ20 billion contract with Stage VN Company and a VNĐ1 billion contract with HTD Group Joint Stock Company.

“It is a great joy to me today while a valuable opportunity for our theatre to introduce Vietnamese traditional puppetry to both local and international friends. And getting closer and reaching tourist areas is something we have long desired," said People's Artist Nguyễn Tiến Dũng, director of the Việt Nam Puppet Theatre.

He said that in recent years, the theatre has maintained daily shows to serve visitors to Hà Nội and opened additional performance venues to meet public demand. Many partners, investors and traditional art lovers have shown interest in and sought cooperation with the Việt Nam Puppet Theatre. 

“We really hope to receive more attention from partners and sponsors who clearly recognise the true value of culture in modern life, especially in the work of introducing and promoting Vietnamese culture to the world," he said.

Speaking about his decision to participate in the cooperation, Stage VN CEO Nguyễn Đặng Quang Vinh said: “We have been operating in the tourism industry for 36 years and are currently among the top 10 travel companies in Việt Nam. With that experience, we always strive to offer our customers a complete experience that encompasses activities, culture and entertainment – especially in the rapidly developing tourist destinations across the country.

"Actually, I have been attached to this art form since I was a child. My parents often took me to watch water puppetry performances, and later I continued to follow it closely through the media. That’s why I have always had a special affection for traditional folk art – a beautiful expression deeply imbued with Vietnamese cultural identity.”

Vinh said that, working in the tourism industry, he wanted tourists – especially international visitors – to experience Vietnamese culture as closely and authentically as possible. According to him, this cooperation embodies performance and investment values, and the passion of Vietnamese people for the entertainment industry.

“Water puppetry is not just a performance,” he said. “It is the love for the craft – the artist’s soul conveyed through every puppet and every show.

"I hope that in the near future the tourism industry and water puppetry will have more opportunities to collaborate – not only to hold more performances that serve tourists but also to enable them to bring home unique traditional cultural products of Việt Nam as gifts and cherished memories. This will also be a meaningful way to promote the image of the Vietnamese people and culture to international friends.”

Many people witness the signing ceremony which is held in the Việt Nam Exposition Centre, venue of the Autumn Fair 2025.

General director of HTD Group Nguyễn Đăng Tuấn said: “I am very honoured to be part of the signing ceremony.

"Actually, this opportunity came quite by chance. While participating in the Autumn Fair, I had the opportunity to watch and listen to the emotional sharing from the artists of the Việt Nam Puppetry Theatre. When I went directly to the theatre to watch the performances, I felt the artistic atmosphere was much more wonderful than I had ever imagined. That is what made me feel deeply in tune with the mission that our Wolfoo World amusement park is aiming for, which is to nurture the qualities and preserve the Vietnamese cultural identity for the young generation."

He hoped to bring national traditional values of culture and the arts closer to his customers, especially children from three to 10 years old, the future owners of Việt Nam. He believed that through the performance and experience with the puppets, the children would clearly understand and be proud of the national culture and arts.

“Through these collaborations, we hope to help the theatre and its artists not only promote traditional art more widely but also bring Vietnamese creative products closer to both local audiences and international visitors,” Tuấn said. VNS