Viet Nam
Popular local entertainment includes Vietnamese theatre, folk dancing, live music, water puppets and Cheo in the north. Ho Chi Minh City and Ha Noi offer the greatest selection of western-style entertainment including restaurants, bars, nightclubs, movie theaters and karaoke bars.
Water puppet show
This is a unique art of entertainment created by Ly Kings in the 11th century. All puppets are made of wood or sometimes of hay and handled by hand. Live folk musical bands stand behind the curtain to match the movement of the puppets on the water. The artists sometimes jump into the water to handle the puppets. Fire crackers, smoke, fire and light make it more picturesque and interesting. This is the unique art on the water that attracts thousands of villagers for the festivals. Tourists can enjoy it in Ha Noi at the water puppet institute.
Popular Opera (Cheo)
Singing and gesture-making for appropriate words is the nature of this art. It originates from the north of Viet Nam. All village activities and history events are replayed on the stage. A clown is a must for Cheo performances. The variation of Cheo can be seen in Quan Ho folk songs. Answering by singing impromptu plays the most important features of Quan Ho. Love songs performed on boats and rice fields are common topics.Theatrical Opera (Tuong)
It developed very well in the center of Viet Nam under the Nguyen Dynasty. Martial art accompanies singing. The King used it to promote people's patriotism and loyalty to the kings. Masks, military costumes, behaviorism and facial decoration define the nature of this art. Common themes for Tuong are historical ones.Performed Opera (Cailuong)
This new genre was born in the South of Viet Nam at the beginning of the 20th century. At first it appeared as amateurish popular music, then entered the stage as professional music and began to attract thousands of people. The reformed opera mixes folk and modern music.Entertainment
Except for some famous royal dances, it seems that Vietnamese prefer music to dance. Vietnamese traditional music is very melodic. Viet Nam is rich in folk music. Thanks to various ethnic groups Viet Nam possesses different kinds of opera and musical instruments. Cinemas open every night from 7.00 p.m. Theaters open from 7:30 p.m.. Water puppet show starts everyday in Ha Noi water puppet institute. Charter show is also available. Discotheques open from 7:00 p.m. till midnight in most big cities. Moving mini stage of water puppet shows can be arranged at any places on request.Shopping
Free trade transactions start very early at most open markets. Viet Nam is a nation of sellers looking for buyers. If you cannot find an item, ask someone and they can find it for you. Government stores with marked prices are the best indicator on what should be paid. In a large city it is not uncommon to see a street lined with electronics and the next street full of plastic goods. Inexpensive electronic items are on sale at Huynh Thuc Khang market in Saigon. A compact disc costs only USD 2. Plenty of bargain needs to be done and one can always find something interesting to bargain over at vendors' and open markets.
Dong Khoi street in Sai Gon is a good place for Vietnamese silk, handicrafts while Ha Noi old quarter of 36 streets is full of queer local souvenirs.Tailors
Vietnamese love wearing tailor-made clothes. In all cities and countryside, tailor shops are rather popular. New clothes are usually made by tailors before new year. In cities, a hand made pair of suits costs only USD 100 to USD 150 including materials and labor. A T-shirt costs USD 2 and USD 4 an embroidered one. Tailors are located along all main streets downtown.
