Taiwanese Puppet Show

Taiwanese puppet show is a kind of traditional opera. The puppet is basically a carved wooden head, a cloth sack in the form of colorful clothing, and hands glued on its clothing. The face is patterned to express its character and personality. The puppets perform on a miniature stage. Behind the stage is the talented puppeteer, who puts his hand into the puppet and makes it perform by moving his fingers. Also, there is a band playing music for each scene.

Taiwanese puppet show is originally from Fujian Province, China. It was brought to Taiwan together with the settlers in the eighteenth century. It is performed at the temple fair. People flock to watch the show after supper. Because of its interesting plot (which are main parts of literature, legends or myths) and colloquial scripts, it is beloved by all ages and has become part of Taiwanese culture.

With more and more choices of entertainment, the traditional puppet show was losing its audience. It was forced to modernize. Since the 1980s, a series of television programs, “The Pili Puppet Show” (Pili means lightning), have been released. The puppets get rid of their traditional facial patterns and appear to be more genuine and delicate. Their actions are swifter. The plot is no longer adopted from traditional stories.  It is more imaginative, adding sci-fi elements such as aliens, time travelers, clones, vampires and robots. The show also makes use of computers to produce stunning special effects, such as real-world scenes. In 2009, it even appeared on the opening ceremony of the World Games in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

In the old days, the Taiwanese puppet show created happiness for people. Nowadays, it appears in a brand new form. This traditional show lives in the heart of every Taiwanese.

Rice with Stewed Pork: You can Hardly Resist it

Taiwan is known as “The Kingdom of Cuisine”. Not only is it delicious, but Taiwanese food also has various kinds of dishes. You can hardly count them.

There is a mouthwatering dish called “rice with stewed pork” (滷肉飯). In the old days, when people didn’t have much money, they used to make it every day. All you need is stewed pork, soy sauce and of course, rice.

Nowadays, it’s one of the most popular dishes in Taiwan. Strolling down the street, you can see restaurants selling it everywhere. You can hardly resist its tempting smell. The taste of stewed pork and soy sauce makes it the perfect combination. You will never forget it for the rest of your life once you taste it.

And don’t worry! This delicious food doesn’t cost much. In fact, it’s so cheap that it’s affordable to everyone. This is also one of the reasons why it’s so popular in Taiwan.

In my opinion, “rice with stewed pork” is what I think could best represent Taiwanese culture because of its remarkable taste and cheap cost. It is one great choice for those who want to treat themselves but don’t want to spend much.