Puppetry of China
中国木偶

Evidence suggests that puppets appeared in China more than two thousand years ago, when they were believed to have magical abilities and were used to invoke shadows from the dead. This art form reached its full fluorescence in the Song dynasty (960–1279), when it was widely used to depict characters in street entertainment. Puppets were also used in special performances to mark festivals, weddings, birthdays, funerals, and to protect villages in times of famine or illness. Combining gestures, music, and classical storytelling, puppetry performance requires diverse professional skills when presenting historical Chinese stories and legends. Some puppet characters share stylistic features with characters in the Beijing Opera. The exhibition featured over fifty colorful puppets, including hand-puppets, rod-puppets, shadow figures, and marionettes from different regions in China.