Fujian’s Marionette Show, or “string puppetry” is one of the most famous cultural traditions in the Fujian province of mainland China and Taiwan.
This unique tradition demands extraordinary skill. With up to 40 strings per puppet, the puppeteer uses every finger, sometimes even teeth, to control subtle movements like pouring tea, wiping tears, or performing complex sword fights.
This art form originated in Fujian but blended into Taiwanese culture through 17th and 19th century migrations. Over several generations, the skill served as an important preserver of cultural tradition, enduring Japanese occupation and “Kominkization” periods which encouraged Taiwanese citizens into adopting practices and lifestyles loyal to the Japanese Emperor.
Many puppetry shows tell satirical stories, often through religious lenses, and notable actions included “cleansing the stage” or temple rituals, creating a shared spiritual language across the strait. This allowed audiences across the strait, while politically divided, to foster an empathetic human connection.
From Fujian’s perspective, the shared connection of puppetry culture is used as soft power to emphasize a “one family” narrative between the Chinese and Taiwanese people. It emphasizes how different people across sides of the strait originate from a singular cultural tie and that this heritage should hold people together as comrades not enemies.
On the other hand, Taiwanese narratives see string puppetry as a symbol of independence and evolution. Taiwanese audiences highlight how the art form evolves into innovative forms like the Pili industry, which blends traditional strings with CGI, showing how traditionally Chinese traditions were transformed into uniquely Taiwanese expressions.
String puppetry is one of the few spaces where a shared past is still visible despite political “strings” pulling the two regions in different directions.
The significance of this shared lineage lies in the tension between ancestral roots and contemporary identity. It is a tangible reminder that while political borders can be drawn, shared cultural memories complicates people’s idea of identity and what it truly means for them.
Through art, people across the strait can still talk to each other. Art is what shapes people’s unique identities even when political microphones are turned off.
Written by Julia Jiang
