Puppet show charms Fujian audience

Fujian province is hosting the first Cross-Straits Puppet Art Festival to the delight of local residents. A new production called Journey to the East is proving to be very popular for its fantastic story and intense action. Now let's take a look.

Zhongshan Park in downtown Zhangzhou city is filled with a huge crowd attracted by the puppet show Journey to the East. It's the work of a troupe of Puppeteers from Taiwan, which shares a puppet tradition with Fujian province.

The story is inspired by mythology. It's set in a fantasy land, where the gods seek to subdue sea monsters and secure a safe passage across an immense ocean. The story is presented with great relish, employing ingenious special effects taken from the performing tradition. Phenomena like waterfalls, firestorms, and thunderbolts are presented with impressive vividness.

China's history of puppetry dates back more than two-thousand years. The art form is regarded as the origin of Chinese Opera. Chinese puppetry is renowned for its intricate designs and detailed story lines. The puppet show tradition in Fujian and Taiwan is known for combining both spectacle and opera, through which it can be used tell local legends and folk tales.