Hai Duong hosts 1st national puppet festival
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The first National Folk Puppet Festival kicked off Monday in the northern province of Hai Duong.
It will feature 18 puppetry troupes of whom 14 are water-puppet theaters from Nam Dinh, Thai Binh, Ha Noi, and Hai Phong.
The participants have signed up to put on around 10 performances each, mainly of traditional folktales such as Teu giao đau, Boi trai, Thi Mau len chua, and Quay to det lua.
Some of the groups have performed across Vietnam and in cultural programs abroad.
Many of them cannot afford the cost of taking part in the festival since most puppet artists are farmers who only perform on special occasions.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the event organizer, is providing each VND20 million (US$ 971) defray their costs.
Winning groups and individuals will get cash prizes of VND3 million to VND5 million.
The festival will run until June 18.
