Hsiu-Jiu Puppet Theatre Introduction
"Xiu Jiu Puppet Theatre Garden" (established in 1992) is Taiwan's first puppet-themed restaurant. Over the past 30 years, its "Taiwan Puppet Feast" has attracted various international tourist groups to the capital for nostalgic experiences. Guests can sit on benches enjoying performances in Taiwanese while savoring traditional Taiwanese cuisine, embarking on a joyful journey through the beautiful island. The venue frequently hosts distinguished guests and dignitaries from various countries, with notable visits including the President of Palau (who was a senator at the time) and the First Lady of Nauru, both of whom visited twice during the pandemic for diplomatic bubble events. In 2013, the American network TLC featured it as a "Global Quirky Restaurant." "Xiu Jiu Puppet Theatre Garden" has its own traditional puppet troupe of the same name, which employs various Taiwanese puppetry styles such as hand puppets, "Jing Guang," TV COSPLAY, and indigenous puppets, depending on the performance. This creates a show characterized by "local, understandable, and joyful" elements. The performances can be conducted entirely in English as well, which is rare. With an interactive and lively approach, audiences of all ages, both local and international, can understand, engage with, and even perform on stage, creating continuous laughter and bridging the gap between Taiwanese traditional arts and audiences worldwide. Over the years, the troupe has been invited to perform both domestically and internationally, visiting Mainland China, Japan (for the 2014 National Palace Museum Treasures Kyushu Exhibition and National Day banquet), South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia multiple times (including a promotional event for the Universiade in Kuala Lumpur with Mayor Ko in 2017), Australia, the Netherlands, and Germany (Berlin ITB) at international tourism exhibitions. In 2022, they performed at the "Ministry of Culture" exhibition during ITF, promoting their story and securing the championship in the "Folk Arts" category of the 2022 Chunghwa Telecom "Story of Taiwan" competition. (Source: Xiu Jiu Puppet Theatre Garden)
