A veteran artist, who pioneers contemporary solo puppetry in Vietnam, has opened the country’s first such museum.

The inauguration ceremony of the Contemporary Solo Puppetry Museum, the first of its kind in Vietnam, was held on Thursday. 

Located at 92B Duong Hien Quyen Street, Nha Trang City, the museum is the brainchild and long-nurtured dream of seasoned artist Duong Van Hoc.

Nha Trang City is the capital of the south-central province of Khanh Hoa.

The museum is a 50m² room which boasts around 100 puppets of various sizes and types.

Most of them are shaped after Vietnamese heroes and animals which the artist crafted and performed with across Vietnam and in 45 other countries over the past dozens of years.     The museum’s other highlights include collections of photos and newspaper articles highlighting Hoc’s solo puppetry, as well as books on the country’s time-honored art of puppetry which he wrote about over the years. 

The museum is open free on Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays, and during Tet (Lunar New Year). 

Those interested can phone Hoc at (+84) 986 071 420 before paying visits to the museum for better service.

The 74-year-old artist, who worked as a dance scriptwriter and stage director, began working at the Vietnam Puppetry Theater in 1984, when his passion for the art budded.

He pioneered and introduced the contemporary solo puppetry in 1992, and is the only local pursuer of the art so far.

The artist expressed hopes that the museum will help promote the art to domestic and international tourists to Nha Trang, and preserve and pass it on to future generations.

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