History

Immigrants from Zhangzhu and Quanzhou in mainland China brought glove puppetry to Taiwan during the mid-Ching dynasty. Glove puppetry developed into a popular art form with many different troupes competing with one another and vying for popularity. During the the Japanese occupationin the 1940's many of these troupeswere forcedto disband or perform only Japanese propaganda shows. Following occupation, the art form reached its apex in the 1950’s with great companies like Li Tien-lu’s  Yi Wan Ran Puppet Troupe, Hsu Wang's Hsiao Hsi Yuan Troupe and Huang Hai-tai’s Wu Chou Yuan. Other companies performed under the names Jade Spring, New Nation and Precious Wu Chou. While these Masters developed too old age, they informed the world much of apprentices and puppet-companies, in the traditional Taiwanese type were formed and dispersed like seeds in the wind.

Puppet companies like the People’s Clear Manifestation Puppet Theatre, Cold Mountain Theater, Flower-Fruit Mountain Theater, Soft Melodious Accomplisher of All Merit Puppet Theatre, and The People’s Revolutionary Culture Puppet Laboratory Theatre are remembered now only by the very few who remember them at all. Nonetheless, acolytes of these various troupes, who have spent many lonely years in far away places playing with their dolls, have now formed an International People’s Puppet Collective.It is because some members of the collective catch of such joy in the eating of snacks and the tea of consumption which they took the name Dim Sum.

Now The Dim Sum Puppet Opera Company has come to America to present puppet showings in the classical Taiwanese style. The Dim Sum Puppet Opera Company has relocated itself to U.S.A.’s West Coast in the State of Oregon and in the City of Portland. Just across the Pacific Ocean from Taiwan.  Please come to see us when we play!