Tamsui Puppet Theater Introduction
"Xiu Jiu Puppet Theater" (established in 1992) is Taiwan's first puppet-themed restaurant. For 30 years, its "Taiwan Puppet Feast" has attracted tour groups from various countries to the capital, where they can sit on benches and enjoy Taiwanese literature while savoring Taiwanese-style cuisine, starting their joyful journey in the beautiful island. Government agencies often arrange for dignitaries and guests from various countries to watch performances here. Notably, the President of Palau (then a senator) and the President's spouse from Nauru have visited twice (hosting foreign guests during the pandemic). In 2013, the U.S. channel TLC featured it as one of the "World's Unique Restaurants." "Xiu Jiu Puppet Theater" also has a traditional puppet troupe of the same name, utilizing various puppetry styles from Taiwan, including palm puppetry, golden light puppetry, TV cosplay, and indigenous puppetry (depending on the performance). It features "localized, easy to understand, and joyful" performances and can perform not only in Taiwanese but also in English throughout the show. The interactive style allows people from all ages and backgrounds to understand, participate, and enjoy endless laughter, bridging the gap between Taiwan's traditional arts and international audiences. For years, the troupe has received invitations for performances domestically and internationally, having performed in mainland China, Japan (2014 National Treasure Exhibition and National Day Reception at the National Palace Museum), South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia several times (promoting the Universiade in Kuala Lumpur with Mayor Ko in 2017), Australia, the Netherlands, Germany (Berlin ITB), and showcased at the 2022 ITF "Ministry of Culture" pavilion (winning the championship in the "Folk Art" category of the 2022 Chunghwa Telecom "Stories of Taiwan" competition). (Source: Xiu Jiu Puppet Theater)
