Taiwanese Puppet - 台灣布袋戲

  Taiwanese Puppet known as Glove puppetry is a type of local opera using cloth puppets that original from Fujian, China during the 17th century. It became a really popular, traditional art in Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, the Guangdong region of Chaoshan, Taiwan, and other parts of southern China. We still can see Taiwanese puppet on the local TV program now days known as Pili (TV series)or seeing at the local temple sometimes. Different place has different name for the puppet. They called it bag puppet, hand puppet parade and, bags puppet show. The puppet's head uses wood carved into the shape of a hollow human head, but aside from the head, palms, and feet, which are made of wood, the puppet's torso and limbs consist entirely of cloth costumes. The character can be any one but usually Chinese legend heroes. It also categories of four different personalities. The white face guy usually is the main character who studies or fights. The red face guy usually are very heroic, brave type who die in the end. Girls are always white face. Everything else like gods, animals, monsters are also in the fourth category. 

  The stage for the puppet show usually uses the small size of the traditional Chinese temple. Before the show starts, they always read a poem first to describe what they are going to perform. The music instrument has a lots of improve, from the traditional Chinese to techno music now days. The language they usually use is the local language. The stories can be Chinese legend, religions, local story. Now days, we even using the news, talks about economics, polities, even love drama, but most of the time the show is all about fighting. Using special effects and cool music to support the show. The size of the normal puppets are 30 cm, the bigger versions are 74-80 cm.









This is a short video of the Taiwanese hand puppet explain the

• Puppet History
• The show stage
• Music
• Actual show 
• How they practices
• The meaning to Taiwanese

  

This is another video of a funny modern Taiwanese hand puppet show on TV. Its very different then the traditional puppet show.





Two interesting facts about Taiwanese Hand Puppet

•  The puppets knows Kung-Fu
•  Techno music involved

Work cited

Tien-Lu, Li. "Beauty-in the of the Beholder.in the Hand of the   Holder." Taiwan Glove Puppetry. Taiwan Tourism Bureau. 2011. Web. 28 February 2011.

"Glove puppetry." Wikipedia. 24 February 2011. Web. 28 February 2011.

"Glove Puppet Area." Puppetry Art Center of Taipei. 30 April 2009. Web. February 2011.

Youtube vedios:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjsiWWDs-7w&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCkulRPmHm8

Pictures:
http://sub.khcc.gov.tw/2008puppetidol/expo/pili.htm

http://www.epochtimes.com/b5/6/2/23/n1234747.htm