Originating in the rice paddies of the Red River Delta in North Vietnam, traditional water puppet plays remain one of the most popular draws for travelers in Ho Chi Minh City. If you want to truly immerse yourself in the local culture of Vietnam’s largest city, then catch a show at the Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theater! The shows are performed entirely in Vietnamese but the puppet gestures and accompanying music are captivating even to foreign audiences. The orchestra is often positioned to one side of the stage adding in sound effects and playing traditional music using drums, wooden bells, horns, bamboo flutes and cymbals as the dragons, fairies and other ornamental figures dance across the water stage. Most of the shows recount Vietnamese folk tales, legends, and significant seasonal events, like the celebration of the rice harvest, depicted in a humorous fashion.