Altimo showed its desire to build ties between East and West by organizing an extraordinary performance – the first ever display of traditional Vietnamese Water Puppetry in Sweden. The performance took place in a huge purpose-built pool at Gröna Lund in Stockholm.

Altimo, an international investor in the telecoms sector, promoted the idea and sponsored a European trip for the show to include performances in Stockholm and London. The aim of the show organized with the support of the Embassy of Vietnam in Stockholm was to broaden the Vietnamese culture and it will be performed for a small group of Swedish cultural personalities and others with cultural ties and trade exchange with Vietnam.

Water puppetry is a colorful and fast moving art genre that is unique to Vietnam. The puppets used in the show are 60 cm tall and weigh between 9 and 14 kilos. The puppets are controlled by long bamboo rods and string mechanisms hidden beneath the water surface. The art genre is a thousand year old tradition which originated from the wet rice civilization in the Red River Delta in Vietnam during the Ly Dynasty. Vietnamese water puppetry has received significant attention in the last few years and is now spreading across the whole world.

The unique water puppetry show at Gröna Lund was performed by the Vietnam Water Puppetry Theatre. It is the leading organization in the performing art of puppetry in Vietnam and it has set up performances across the world. In 2002 the Vietnam Water Puppetry Theatre was awarded first prize at the International Puppetry Theatre Festival in Prague.

Altimo is happy to confirm its commitment to further cooperation with Vietnam. The company opened its office operations in Hanoi in 2006 and announced plans to invest over $2 billion in the Vietnam telecoms projects.