An example of the scenes that are standard in contemporary water puppet performances; there is a potential repertoire of 200 items. Usually 15 or 16 vignettes are shown in one performance.

· Teu, the jester and master of ceremonies
· Firecrackers, flag raising and fanfare
· An invitation to the spectators to take betel leaves and refreshment
· Dance of the fairies
· The dance of the four sacred creatures: dragon, unicorn, phoenix and giant tortoise
· The four rural occupations (farmers, frog catchers, duck catchers, weavers)
· The four castes (i.e. fishermen)
· Wrestling between two athletes
· Fight of the buffalo, horse race, boat race, seesaw game
· March of the troops, funeral march
· Dance of the immortals
· Rainmaking dragons
· Lions quarrelling over a ball
· Heroes from history the Truing sisters founding the nation AD40, Tran Hung Dao, 13th century, Ming soldiers, 15th century.

Particular scenes grew in popularity - they suited the range of movement possible to the puppets and the nature of performance taking place on the water. It is common to present scenes of simple emotive domestic activity followed by scenes of fast-moving action, for example:

Weaving silk - a woman working at her loom stops to feed a baby brought in by her mother. The baby, having drunk her fill, is handed back to her mother and she resumes her work.

Duck catchers - an old couple carry a basket of eggs on stage, these hatch into a flock of ducklings and the two old people try to tend the lively little creatures. A fox appears and watches the ducklings, is pursued and hides in a tree. It pounces on one duckling and carries it off in his mouth. The old couple chase the fox, capture and beat him.