Tours and Entertainment
Hanoi Wetlands and Red River Field Trip
AWS participants will enjoy a tour of the wetlands of Hanoi and the Red River from 13:00 – 18:00 on Sunday June 22. Hanoi is located on the banks of the Red River and with its many lakes is often referred to as “the city of lakes.” The tour includes a visit to Hoan Kiem Lake and West Lake, two of Hanoi’s most prominent lakes, followed by a cruise along the Red River. The river tour will start at Chuong Duong Do Port with a visit to Van Phuc Temple and Bat Trang Ceramic Village. While cruising down the river, participants will enjoy Bac Ninh traditional music.
The Red River is named for its red silt-laden waters. The Red River delta is a major agricultural area of Vietnam with a large area allocated to rice production. The Red River experiences violent floods and significant seasonal volume fluctuations. An elaborate network of dykes and levees protect the delta land.
Water Puppet Theatre
AWS participants will enjoy an excursion to Vietnam's Water Puppet Theatre on June 24, 2008. Transportation will be arranged from La Thanh Hotel, 218 Doi Can Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi. Tel: 84 4 8325123. Water puppetry is an art form that is unique to North Vietnam. It is an exciting cultural performance that depicts ancient rural North Vietnamese life with a strong reference to Vietnamese folklore. Water puppetry was devised as a medium to satisfy the spirits that Northern Vietnamese people believed dominated their lives. The farmers in Red River Delta devised this form of entertainment and worship using what natural medium they could find in their environment - ponds and flooded rice paddies that served as the stage for these impromptu shows.
Singers perform songs that related to the story being acted out by the puppets. The theme of the skits is rural and has a strong reference to Vietnamese folklore. Stories of harvest, fishing, and festivals are highlighted. Legends and national history are also told.
