Xiamen is the birthplace of the Chinese marionette. Hundreds of small and large puppet troupes operate out of Xiamen, Gulangyu Island and the city of Quanzhou. The puppets are expressive and complex, with the ability to display a range of characters and, in some cases, play musical instruments. The marionette has been part of Chinese entertainment for millennia, starting as humble shows in the countryside and progressing into an art form for wealthy aristocrats, emperors and eventually foreign audiences. The puppets have as many as 36 different strings of varying lengths - as long as two metres in many cases - and mastering the art of puppeteering can take a lifetime. Traditional puppets are carved from camphor wood and sanded to create a glossy, smooth texture. Puppets are then painted according to classic depictions of princesses, nobles or rogues, and costumes and hair are added to create as life-like an effect as possible. The art of puppet carving is slowly dying out, as modern manufacturing techniques that favour mass production take over from the master carvers of centuries past. Traditional troupes, such as the Quanzhou Puppet Troupe, keep the old arts alive for tourists and gala events that require displays of old Amoy. Today, the marionettes are characteristic of ancient Ming dynasty nobles and commoners, but new 'globalised' versions of the marionette are also sold across Gulangyu - including boxing puppets of world leaders. Although some of the traditional techniques are being replaced, the range and abilities of the puppets has greatly increased, as poles, extra strings and modern interpretations enter the repertoire. There are also offshoots of the craft, such as palm puppets and head carvings. The palm puppets are not as popular with audiences as the marionettes, but the exquisitely crafted faces and attire make for great souvenirs. Palm puppets are high quality, smaller renditions of their larger marionette cousins and the complexity and range of a palm puppet show still impress audiences. The head carving and puppet carving industries are close relatives of the marionette - small, expressive carvings of ancient characters in classic plays and modern renditions of people familiar to us today are sold across the region and especially in tourist areas around Gulangyu. Marionette performances are now common across China - similar to the opera traditions that flourished in the Minnan regions and were then taken to other parts of the country. Sichuan and Beijing are known for their distinctive marionette shows, but neither achieve the nuance and complexity of the forefather of puppets in China, the Amoy marionette tradition.
