Monkey King comes alive
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Puppet shows originated in the early 17th century in Quanzhou, Fujian Province and later spread to Taiwan with the migration of Fujian people.
According to Lin, after almost 300 years of development, puppet shows have became more popular in Taiwan than their original hometown. Several styles have emerged including Jingguang, with fantasy themes, backgrounds and special effects and made-for-TV puppet produtions.
Lin said that puppet shows in Taiwan faced difficulties 30 years ago, with few young people taking up the craft. He explained that the government began several initiatives to revive the art form including opening training schools, inviting young people to get involved and modernizing the genre as a whole.
"Without tradition, it is hard to demonstrate the true meaning of culture; without innovation, the life of tradition can't be everlasting," he said.
"It's because of these efforts that you can see us, the young generation, in puppet shows today. Most members of our troupe are quite young and we are confident about the future."
"Education is important for inheriting tradition. Books in primary schools in Taiwan introduce puppet shows, which, I believe, is kind of a memory of our culture." "You can touch a typical Taiwan puppet show," Lin said. "It has developed its own identity of delicacy and artistic quality."
