A Century of Hand-Puppetry Heritage and Innovation: Yunlin Glove Puppetry Day Honors Master Huang Hai-dai

To honor the extraordinary contributions of glove puppetry master Huang Hai-dai to traditional culture, the Yunlin County Government designated his birthday (January 2) as "Yunlin Glove Puppetry Day," which has now entered its 11th year. The Yunlin Glove Puppetry Museum also adopted the theme "A Century of Hand-Puppetry Heritage and Innovation," inviting several glove puppetry masters to interact with the public on site, showcasing the splendid elegance of Yunlin as the hometown of puppet theater.

Yunlin County Magistrate Li Chin-yung attended the commemorative day and said that Yunlin County is the birthplace of glove puppetry, and that a major highlight of the 2017 Taiwan Lantern Festival was the Puppetry Through the Ages lantern area. On this special day, the 2nd, besides remembering the master's exemplary style, it is even more important to pass on and continue this important traditional culture. In addition to "Yunlin Glove Puppetry Day," Yunlin also holds an international puppet theater festival every year, which not only showcases the vitality of local culture but also invites foreign puppet theater artists to exchange and learn from one another. Everyone is welcome to visit when the time comes.

Master Huang Chun-hsiung also said that he was grateful for the public's support and affection, which have allowed glove puppetry, this traditional culture, to continue and develop.

The event also invited Teacher Hong Gui-miao of the Star Garden Puppet Theater Troupe, who inherited his craft from Master Huang Hai-dai, and his son Teacher Hong Yi-lang to perform together, demonstrating the heritage and innovation of glove puppetry. In the afternoon, Teacher Li Jing-ye of the Zhen Yunlin Ge Puppet Theater Troupe and the National Formosa University Tudou Ren Puppet Troupe that he leads performed, showcasing the distinctive characteristics of each glove puppetry school. In the plaza, the Tunghai University Puppetry Research Club and Yao Wu Feng Yun performed cosplay. The full day of activities was rich and exciting, adding luster to the 11th anniversary of Glove Puppetry Day.