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
As part of the Q&A sessions with the masters and their students during the live show of the Chinese intangible cultural heritage (ICH), most masters said they are teaching “few” or “quite a few” apprentices their skill.
The gala was my first time having a face-to-face discussion with the practitioners who had hands-on experience in passing on the traditions to the younger generation.
