The Puppetry Art Center of Taipei, is a unique cultural institution that offers visitors a deep dive into the world of traditional puppetry, including glove puppetry, string marionettes, shadow puppets, and more. Established in 2000, this center provides an immersive experience into the history, techniques, and performances of puppetry, offering a rare glimpse into Taiwan’s traditional puppet theater and the global puppet arts community.
Puppetry is a cherished art form in Taiwan, with roots extending back to ancient Chinese cultural practices and regional folk traditions, and the Taipei Puppet Museum serves as both a repository of this heritage and a center for its continued development. Visitors can observe intricate hand-carved glove puppets used in traditional Taiwanese opera. This form is iconic in Taiwan and is characterized by intricately crafted puppets manipulated by hand, often in performances that tell historical stories, folktales, or mythological dramas.
The museum’s collection features puppets from various parts of Asia, including Taiwan, China, Japan, Thailand, and Indonesia. Visitors can explore the evolution of puppetry from traditional roots to more contemporary forms, examining how new storytelling techniques have been integrated into this traditional art. The exposition includes videos of stop-motion animations, and more tactile-experiences where the visitor can wear and try different puppets.
