TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Residents and visitors of New Taipei will be able to relive the magic of Taiwanese glove puppetry on Sunday (Nov. 22) at the Xinzhuang Puppetry Culture Day celebration.

As part of the 25th-anniversary celebration of the Xinzhuang Culture and Art Center, the New Taipei Government has organized a series of performances featuring Taiwanese folk arts, including diabolo, Zen-focused drumming, and glove puppet theater. A cosplay runway show will also take place in front of the culture and art center Sunday afternoon, with DIY maltose candies and edible toy figurines available for those interested.

Xinzhuang Culture and Art Center Director Wu Li-yu (吳麗羽) told CNA that the Hsiao Hsi Yuan Puppet Theater, one of the most highly regarded hand puppet troupes in Taiwan, was founded in Xinzhuang District in 1913 by the late Hsu Tian-fu (許天扶). She said the company has introduced traditional puppetry to the Taiwanese audience for over a century and will offer live street performances at Sunday's event.

Meanwhile, the celebrated Pili Glove Puppetry will also bring their performance to the streets of Xinzhuang, with actors dressing up as life-size puppet characters. The widely successful glove puppetry company is known for changing the impressions of traditional glove puppetry by incorporating martial arts action and special effects in its productions.

The Xinzhuang Puppetry Culture Day is scheduled to run from 2-6 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, visit the New Taipei Cultural Affairs Department website.

Actors will dress up as puppet characters in Pili mobile performance. (New Taipei Cultural Affairs Department photo)