It is a Chinese performing art primarily made up of string puppets and hand puppets. The art has developed its own technique of performance and puppet designing, as well as a repertoire of plays and music.
This performing art became popular in Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, and the surrounding areas as early as the 10th century.
Hand puppetry is also called Boo Dei Hi. The history of Fujian Puppetry includes a considerable amount of traditional plays and changqiang, which are vocal parts of Chinese opera. As well as these creations, a unique performing system and superb craftsmanship have developed in the modeling of puppets.
Since the 1980s, changes in economic production and lifestyle, economic globalization, and cultural diversification have left many young people reluctant to learn and inherit Fujian Puppetry. On the other hand, the highly sophisticated performing techniques, which need intense and long-lasting practice, have also contributed to their reluctance.
Due to both socioeconomic changes transforming people's lifestyles and the long periods of training required to master the complex performing techniques, the number of young people learning puppetry has declined since the 1980s. Community groups, groups, and practitioners formed the 2008-2020 Strategy for Training the Next Generation of Fujian Puppetry Practitioners in response.
Several key points of a puppet show to enjoy include the dexterity of the master puppeteer's hands, accompaniment from the orchestra, as well as the poetic spoken parts of the voice actors. Human vocal music and operatic singing are seldom heard from traditional po-te-hi to modern performances, with few exceptions.
The key objectives of the project include safeguarding the transmission of Fujian Puppetry and enhancing its sustainability through professional training, as well as by developing new puppetry practitioners, compiling teaching materials, opening performing venues, training institutes, and exhibition halls, and educating people non-formally and formally.
There will be regional and international cooperation and artistic exchange. This strategy has resulted in the involvement of a wide range of practitioners and educational institutions. As a result, the training of 200 potential practitioners, the establishment of 20 public puppetry groups, and the provision of financial support for representative bearers have taken place.
As of today, its strategy was developed in response to the puppet holders' desire, and it relied on the common participation of governments, communities, and schools. Hopefully, Public interest and government support, as well as the enthusiasm of communities, groups, and individuals, keep contributing to the success of this initiative.
References
(https://ich.unesco.org/en/BSP/strategy-for-training-coming-generations-of-fujian-puppetry-practitioners-00624) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glove_puppetry) (http://xiamen.chinadaily.com.cn/2019-11/05/c_424516.htm) (https://www.ichlinks.com/archive/elements/elementsV.do?nation=CN&page=1&elementsUid=13829896122464900234&mode=grid)