There is a Chinese legend that tells of a royal court magician who lived in the first century BC. Stricken with grief over the loss of a favourite concubine, Emperor Wu-ti commanded the magician to bring her back to life. Faced with this impossible task, the magician instead cast the lady's shadow on a screen using puppetry, and so convinced was the Emperor of his beloved's return that he would converse with her for hours. What became of the magician after the deception was eventually uncovered? Well, that seems to remain a mystery... but what is more revealing is that puppetry might have existed as far back as 2,000 years ago. India's epic poem, the Mahabharata, also makes clear references to shadow puppetry in one of the poems, Arjunawiwaha (Arjuna's Wedding), which suggests that shadow theatre could have been found in the region as early as the 11th century.

Southeast Asia
Indonesia

The Art of Wayang
The shadow puppet genre of Indonesia is one of oldest and most complex theatre traditions in the world. Most prevalent in Java and Bali, the word "wayang" is an Indonesian (and Malaysian) term associated to both the artistic genre and the object of performance. So wayang kulit, referring to the most well-known form, means both "shadow puppet theatre" and
"shadow puppet".

Vietnam

Still Water
Mua roi nuoc, or Vietnamese water puppetry, is a unique and highly-developed folk theatre of North Vietnam. Dating back to 1121 AD and literally meaning
"puppets dancing on water", the form flourished as village entertainment in the Red River Delta in the 19th and 20th centuries. Initially, the performances began with clown commentators and were followed by short scenes of village activities and mythical, historical or contemporary episodes. Ideas were based on Vietnamese folklore theatre or current affairs.

Thailand

A Dying Art
Puppet theatre in Thailand consists of two styles: nang and hun. The very popular nang talung, consisting of small puppets about half a metre in height, originated in the southern part of Thailand in the 17th or 18th century, where it is still active. The puppeteer, nang nai, accompanied by a small orchestra of five musicians, presents stories based on the Ramakien, the Thai version of the Indian epic Ramayana, and on other legends and local lore. Nang talung plays are performed on festive occasions, and, as with the Indonesian wayang, continue through the night, typically using 40 to 50 of the puppets in a set of about 200. The much larger related variation, nang yai, employs puppets between one- to two-metres tall, mounted on two bamboo rods and manipulated by dancing puppeteers moving in front of and behind a large white screen. Daytime shows normally use brightly coloured puppets, while black is used at night.

South Asia
India

Puppet Tapestry
India has a dazzling array of puppet theatre forms – shadow, glove, rod and string – all part of the heritage of Indian village life. The first historical evidence of Indian puppet theatre dates back to the Indus Valley civilisation; an ancient terra cotta bull with a detachable head that can be manipulated by a string, and a terra cotta monkey manipulated with a stick. Written between 1000 and 100 BC, two of the greatest Indian literary epics, Mahabharata and Ramayana, as well as the Puranas provide rich source material for dramatists.

East Asia
China & Hong Kong

Going Back a Long Way
Kueilei xi, or Chinese puppet theatre, has an ancient past. It peaked in the Song Dynasty (960–1279), during which the art became increasingly sophisticated, and several forms were being practiced, including zhangtou (rod), xuansi (string), shui (water), rou ("in the flesh", i.e. human puppets) and yaofa (gunpowder-activated). Chinese puppetry would further be developed during the Ming and Qing Dynasties (l368–1912), and several schools spread across the country.

Taiwan

From Peasantry to High Society
The most popular among Taiwanese puppetry forms is the budai xi, or glove puppet theatre, which originated on the mainland in Zhangzhou in Fujian province in the early 19th century. Over time, it became integrated with Taiwanese culture and developed its own unique style, becoming the dominant form of pre-1960s public entertainment. Budai xi was staged at open-air, marketplace theatres, and perform-ances were given in the Taiwanese dialect. The repertoire, role types, style and music were all adapted from xiqu (traditional Chinese theatre).

Japan

The Art of Threes
Bunraku, Japanese puppet theatre, is one of the four great dramatic traditions of Japan, the others being kabuki, noh and kyogen. It began as ningyo joruri, or doll drama, in the late 15th century, combining skilfully manipulated doll figures, narrative storytelling, and articulate shamisen music.