 |
Best
of Taiwan |
  Puppet
shows are very common and entertaining. Chinese puppetry, on the other
hand, is a traditional culture that began as early as the 10th Century
during the Sung Dynasty. Two forms of Chinese puppetry include marionette
theater and shadow theater. Both forms were highly developed even back
in the Sung Dynasty. In China, puppetry is considered to be an art of
tremendous visual and aural attraction.
In Taiwan, there
is an additional form of puppetry called the glove puppet theater. Immigrants
from the southern coast of the Chinese mainland introduced puppetry to
Taiwan in the early 19th Century. With the advancement in time, puppetry
in Taiwan acquired its own distinct cultural features and artistic styles.
The most widely used puppetry is the string marionette. Shows are based
on religious purposes other than entertaining audiences. Some consider
puppet shows to be a form of appreciation to the gods or to drive away
evil.
Shadow puppetry in
Taiwan originated from the Chaochow School of shadow puppetry. Shadow
plays were popular in Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung during the Ching
Dynasty (1644-1911AD). This method of puppetry is based on light penetrating
through a translucent sheet of cloth; the shadows are silhouettes seen
by audience in profile or face on. These plays are often supplemented
by 'priest melodies', which are considered to be a priceless assets.
Glove puppetry is
more popular in the Fukien province. Puppeteers had to be creative and
talented with good performing skills. Plots were usually well-knit, action-packed,
and filled with scenes that were choreographed to match the accompanying
'pei-kuan' music.
In order to survive,
puppetry had to adapt to the new changes in trends. Most aspects of puppetry
have now been altered to suit the demands of the more prevalent viewers.
In spite of that, puppetry still prevails in religious ceremonies and
folk festivals.
Top of Page
|
