Imprints of Kinh Bac Culture in The Water Puppetry Art of Dong Ngu Hamlet, Bac Ninh (Viet Nam)

Water puppetry in Dong Ngu hamlet, Song Lieu ward, Bac Ninh province, is one of the few traditional water puppet guilds that still exist today. There have been quite a number of articles and studies on the art of water puppetry in this area; however, most of them mainly focus on the formation and development of the guild, without adequately addressing the imprint of Kinh Bac culture embedded in it. With the aim of clarifying the imprints of Kinh Bac culture in the water puppetry art of Dong Ngu hamlet, we employed ethnographic fieldwork methods and interview techniques. Through investigation and research, we identified 15 water puppet performances that are still preserved and performed. These performances are classified into the following groups: performances reflecting the festival life and belief system of the people; performances depicting agricultural production life; and performances portraying customs and everyday practices. Through this classification, the article helps readers gain a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of the imprints of Kinh Bac culture as expressed through the water puppetry art of Dong Ngu hamlet, Bac Ninh, Viet Nam.