Yunlin Hand Puppet Museum, Puppet arts museum in Huwei, Taiwan.
The Yunlin Hand Puppet Museum is housed in a 1931 building and displays traditional puppets in various styles, sizes, and techniques developed across Taiwan. Three floors showcase the evolution of the art form, from simple figures to elaborately crafted characters with detailed moving parts.
The building opened in 1931 as a district office, then became a police station in 1945. After restoration in 2004, it was converted to house the puppet collection and now serves as a center for preserving this traditional art.
Hand puppet performance has deep roots in this region, and visitors can see how the art remains woven into local celebrations and family traditions. The annual festival brings together performers from different areas, showing how the craft continues to be passed from one generation to the next.
Visitors can join hands-on workshops to learn how to make and manipulate puppets under the guidance of local artists. It helps to allow extra time for these activities, as they provide a deeper understanding of the craft than viewing displays alone.
The building is the oldest wooden courtyard structure in Huwei, which now preserves puppet theater traditions rather than serving administrative functions. This conversion shows how historical spaces can be repurposed to protect an endangered art form for future audiences.
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