Hand Puppets

Hand puppets have been a favorite with children all over the world for centuries. They are thought to have originated in Quanzhou, Fujian Province.

According to an old Chinese legend, a man named Liang Pinglin introduced the art of puppet playing. Liang, who had repeatedly failed the Imperial Examinations, went to the temple of Hsien Kung, the God of Righteousness, to pray for guidance. He spent the night there and dreamt that Hsien Kung spoke to him. The god promised that Liang would become famous and rich.

Liang was convinced that dream was a good sign of success. Therefore, he sat for the examination again. Unfortunately, he failed again. Feeling hopeless and confused, he wandered about the countryside. After a while, he sat down to rest and saw some children playing with home-made hand puppets.

Suddenly, Liang understood what his dream meant. He went home and started to make puppets of the folk heroes and historical characters which he knew so well. His elaborate puppets and magnificent performances drew large crowds. Soon he earned both the honor and wealth he had so eagerly sought.

There are two types of hand puppets used to entertain the young: the literary and military. The literary puppet frequently "sings" delicate, refined songs to a musical accompaniment while the military puppets excite the young with realistic duels featuring enemies who fight to the accompaniment of loud gongs and drums.