The Thai Festival debuts in Taipei with traditional puppet shows and hands-on cooking demonstrations

By MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network, reported and compiled by Li Xinyi

The “2012 Thai Festival” will take place from 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM on September 8–9 at the Xinyi Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Fragrance Avenue Plaza. Each year, the organizers invite cultural performance groups from Thailand to participate. This year, the invited Klong Bang Luang Puppet Show troupe will present a century-old puppet performance. In addition to the puppet shows, the main stage will also feature Muay Thai demonstrations, papaya salad making workshops, and traditional Thai dance performances, among other exciting activities.

The Klong Bang Luang Puppet Troupe is made up of puppet enthusiasts, with each puppet operated by three professional puppeteers. During performances, the puppeteers must become one with their puppets on stage, ensuring every part of the puppet moves fluidly and realistically like a human. As such, only those with long-term training in traditional dance can become puppeteers. The entire performance is highly vivid, and the adorable and fun interactions with the audience add to the charm. To reduce the visibility of the performers and focus attention on the puppets, everyone wears black masks, which has gradually become a signature feature of the troupe. To see this traditional Thai art form, one would normally have to travel to Bangkok, but now visitors can experience it at the Thai Festival. At the Thai Tourism Authority’s booth, in addition to the latest travel information, there is also an interactive quiz game for participants. Those who answer correctly will receive a specially designed Thai T-shirt, while those who don’t will still get a cute doll keychain.

● Read more: Taiwan’s Top 10 Overseas Destinations Series / 10 Must-Visit Sites of Thailand’s Ancient Civilization

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