The 4th Hai Phong Extended Puppetry Festival 2026, themed “Hai Phong - Convergence - Radiance,” opened on the afternoon of 9/5 at the City Theater Square.

The event gathered over 3,000 artists, actors, and artisans. Before the opening ceremony, the art troupes conducted a parade in the square area.

Artists from the Hai Phong Puppetry Troupe performed stick puppets at the intersection of Cau Dat - Nguyen Duc Canh. Artisans control the puppet's movements via bamboo or wooden rods on a rolling stage. Unlike water puppets, stick puppets are highly flexible, often used in rolling puppet and shadow puppet acts.

The puppets in water puppetry are typically made from light wood, controlled by artists behind a screen to recreate rural life and ancient tales, enhanced with lively sound and light.

Artists from the Phuong Nam Shadow Puppetry Troupe greeted the audience with string puppets on Nguyen Duc Canh street. The troupes started from Hai Phong City Theater, moving through central streets like Quang Trung, Nguyen Duc Canh, Quan Hoa, Tran Phu, and Tran Hung Dao, converging at the city's central square.

The Hai Phong Puppetry Festival runs until 12/5, divided into three content blocks: “Traditional Culture - National Roots,” “Connecting to Spread to Young Audiences,” and “Integrating for Development, Reaching International Level.” The Trieu Khuc village bong dance club from Ha Noi participated in the parade and was particularly popular with Hai Phong residents.

Artists portraying Mac dynasty kings and mandarins performed sword dances and martial arts, leading the parade. This dynasty was founded by Mac Dang Dung, whose ancestral home was in Co Trai village, Nghi Duong district, now Ngu Doan commune, Kien Thuy district, Hai Phong.

According to the Hai Phong Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the festival aims to preserve and promote traditional puppetry while showcasing local cultural heritage to tourists.

Many young people in traditional costumes joined the parade with the artists, performing folk games and lively acts, creating a vibrant festival atmosphere.

Thousands of people lined the streets where the parade passed, cheering. The program helps bring puppetry and cultural, historical figures closer to the public, especially the youth.

Le Tan