Pulling the strings

A glass cabinet at the exhibition showcases puppets from a classic play titled Qiang Qin (Kidnapped Bride).

Yan Zhi, a researcher at the National Museum, says the play Qiang Qin is accompanied by a score performed by traditional percussion instruments, such as gongs and drums.

He says the performance has very few speaking parts, and mostly relies on the puppets' movements.

The figure of Yan, the dishonest official, has a flashy pink robe and a ludicrous white cloth hat, while his servant has an unusually prominent forehead.

"The ugly, ludicrous appearance of the duo are comment on those who bully the underprivileged," says Yan.

Qiang Qin is among four puppet films being shown at the current exhibition, and in which puppets crafted by Xu Zhuchu are used. The films were made in the 1950s and '60s, and feature glove puppetry practitioners from Zhangzhou.