Glove puppet in Jinjiang, Fujian province

Glove puppet in Jinjiang can be traced back to the Jin Dynasty (265-420). It expanded and flourished during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

Glove puppet in Jinjiang is noted for its strict requirements on puppet movements. The puppets are controlled by one hand which occupies the interior of the puppet. Larger varieties of hand puppets have the puppeteer's hand in just the puppet's head, controlling the mouth and head, while the puppet's body then hangs over the entire arm. Other parts of the puppet (mainly arms and special variants like eyelids and the mouth) are usually not much larger than the hand itself.

Video: Donglin

Story: Xu Xinlei