Taiwanese Puppet Master Fights To Save Dying Art
Faizan Hashmi Published November 15, 2018 | 12:06 PM
At 87 years old, Taiwanese glove puppeteer Chen Hsi-huang is the star of a new documentary which reflects his determination to revive the dying traditional craft and a late-life renaissance as a high-profile promoter of the art form.
Taipei, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th Nov, 2018 ) :At 87 years old, Taiwanese glove puppeteer Chen Hsi-huang is the star of a new documentary which reflects his determination to revive the dying traditional craft and a late-life renaissance as a high-profile promoter of the art form.
The film, entitled "Father", tells the story of how Chen pursued the craft in the shadow of his father, the legendary puppeteer Li Tian-lu, who drew huge audiences to his shows in the 1950-1970s and appeared in several movies.
Also known as "Budaixi", glove puppetry spread to Taiwan in the 19th century from the southeastern Chinese province of Fujian and was mainly performed at religious and festive occasions, becoming a popular form of entertainment.
Puppeteers manoeuvre small glove dolls on ornate wooden stages to present historical and martial arts stories accompanied by live folk music.
Chen said he values the traditional puppetry because it is characterised by subtle movements, with the puppeteer taking on all roles, from a young woman to an old man.
He first set up his own troupe at 23 years old but as business declined he was forced to shut shop at 40. He went on to teach the craft and continued to perform with other groups in Taiwan and overseas.
At the age of 79, motivated by his desire to stop the art form fading completely in the face of modern entertainment, he set up a new troupe and teaches puppetry at weekend classes as well as taking on apprentices.
"There were only two or three traditional troupes left," he told AFP.
"I used my name to open a new troupe because I didn't want the traditional craft to disappear."
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