Taiwan Today

China has had puppets of many kinds for thousands of years. One of the most fascinating forms of puppetry is that of shadows. The puppet itself does not ap­pear: only its shadow on a small screen. This entertainment of classical stories is not yet a dying art in the countryside of southern Taiwan. Two of the best known remaining masters are Tsai Lung­-hsi, now in his early 90s, and Chang Te­-cheng in his late 60s. They must tan and color the leather from which their puppets are made, then speak all the parts of the many dramas in their repertoire.

 

 

 

Cowhide is used for the shadow puppets of Taiwan. It must be thin. Parts supposed to present a pale appearance are cut out. The rest of the puppet is col­ored with a coat of vegetable oil. Colors then appear on the screen. Puppets are articulated at wrist, elbows, waist and the knees. The manipulation is with three sticks, one at each wrist and the third attached to the back between the shoulders. The heads are interchangeable. So a single leather puppet can be used to represent several dif­ferent characters. Both shadow puppets and those of the cloth bag variety attract crowds at religious festivals and fairs.

 

 

 

According to one old story, when an Emperor's favorite concubine died, he was consoled with projection of her image against the screen of his sleeping cur­tain. These shadows are surprisingly lifelike, perhaps even more so than the cloth bag and other puppets, although the images must be shown in profile. Equipment is simple and a show can be set up at any corner or along a country road. Musical accompaniment is provided by a small orchestra of drums, cymbals and gongs with maybe a couple of wind and string instruments. In this day of the tape and cassette, even live musicians can be dispensed with to save money.