2024 Yunlin International Puppet Theater Festival

The 2024 Yunlin International Puppet Theater Festival, themed “Super Puppet Universe,” celebrated the fusion of traditional glove puppetry with modern creative innovation. The festival brought together puppet troupes from across Taiwan as well as international performers from Japan, South Korea, the United States, and Thailand, highlighting Yunlin’s role as the global stage for puppetry arts.
The grand opening ceremony was held in the Huwei High-Speed Rail Special Zone, hosted by renowned entertainers Lang Tsu-yun and Tang Tsung-sheng. The event featured cross-genre performances by celebrated artists and international groups, presenting a cross-cultural artistic collaboration between Taiwan and Japan.
A highlight of the festival was the Golden Palm Awards, modeled after Taiwan’s prestigious Golden Horse, Golden Melody, and Golden Bell Awards. The ceremony honored outstanding achievements in puppetry and featured a banquet-style dinner showcasing local delicacies—an eco-friendly “farm-to-table” approach that reduced carbon footprints while promoting Yunlin’s regional flavors.
During the festival, the city came alive with vibrant events, including the Puppet Parade Carnival, the nation’s only Professional Glove Puppetry Competition, the Youth Golden Palm Awards, and the Little Golden Palm Awards, which involved more than 40 schools nurturing future generations of puppet performers. The special exhibition “On Location: Hsin Hsing Ku Co-Performance Project” showcased the history, artistry, and puppets of the Hsin Hsing Ku Puppet Show Troupe, deepening the festival’s cultural narrative.
Complementing the performances, the festival partnered with local business districts to host markets and launched limited-edition merchandise such as the “Super Puppet Bag” backpack and a co-branded peanut gift set. Blending tradition, innovation, and international collaboration, the Yunlin International Puppet Theater Festival once again captivated audiences and reaffirmed its position as a cornerstone of Taiwan’s cultural identity.