Thai puppets wow Beijing audience

Beijing was the venue for "An Evening with the Thai Ambassador", which took place on Monday, Jan 14. The Thai ambassador to China - Wiboon Khusakul - introduced Thai cuisine and a performance of "Joe Louis" by the Traditional Thai Puppet Theatre.

This video is about how Hanuman chased Princess Benjakai and won her heart.

Background information: The demon king Totsakan's army was defeated by Prince Rama's. In desperation, Totsakan ordered his niece Princess Benjakai to transform herself into Princess Sita, pretending to be killed so that Sita's death would end the war. When the body of Princess Benjakai arrived on the bank of the river at Prince Rama's camp, the white monkey warrior Hanuman suspected the body was not that of Princess Sita but instead was Princess Benjakai. Knowing that Princess Sita was impervious to fire and Princess Benjakai was not, he set the body on fire, whence Princess Benjakai escaped quickly into the sky. But Hanuman caught up with her and brought her back to camp. Finally, she was seduced by him and became his wife.

Video: Lin Hanqing

Photographer: Huan CAO

Producer: Flora Yue