History is created by the passing of time, yet the lives and history of the people enrich the era they live. Seden was born in the 1980s, when society began to become more open and the rise of a local Taiwanese consciousness emerged. New forms of entertainment appeared and glove puppetry dramas hit the television screens. This was the temporal backdrop for the founding of Seden Glove Puppetry Foundation and is the context for the general direction and plot of this “play”. However, even though time serves as the main playwright, shaping the development of the Seden from founding to the present, the establishment of the foundation was not merely a result of random coincidences stemming from objective factors. The

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Incorporating New Themes and Ideas: How Traditional Culture Can Still Be Timeless Peking opera is one of the many forms of Chinese traditional theater and opera. But it underwent many transformations during its time in Taiwan. In the 1960s and 1970s, Peking opera became very popular in Taiwan. If it was on TV, every household would surely tune in. That was how Yang Xingzhi grew up, sitting in front of the television, being mesmerized by this amazing artform. After martial law was lifted, people began to grow more conscious about their local identity. Peking opera gradually also took on ideology and meaning beyond sheer performance. Finding That Which Touches Your Heart Just like many families in Taiwan, Yang grew up

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Yang Xingzhi’s playwriting career began from a love for Peking Opera. She then went on to explore Taiwanese opera and learned about Beiguan opera in Seden Foundation. Ever since, she has developed a unique understanding of traditional opera and theater and has devoted herself to playwriting. After being invited into Seden, her efforts of organizing various events and performances, facilitated Seden to be an active member of the traditional arts community. She also adapted Zheng Qingwen’s fairy tale The Legend of the Lady Ghost into an award-winning children’s glove puppetry play. She believes that traditional opera and theater is not outdated and can still be innovative and relevant by incorporating elements from different fields.

Even If You Get Tired, You’re Having Fun! The More I Enjoyed It, The More I Invested: My Journey of Becoming a Puppeteer by Chance Wu Zhengde’s first impressions of glove puppetry came from Wangye Temple in his hometown of Hsinchu. He recalls “On the first month of every year, there would always be local performances in front of the temple. In accordance with local tradition, each performance had its own status, Taiwanese opera was often ranked higher than glove puppetry. Therefore, on Wangye’s birthday, opera is performed. Sometimes, believers come and give offerings of gratitude to the gods. So the puppetry stage had to be placed at the side instead of the center. Thus, two performances would be going

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Seden Traditional Theater Art Director Wu Zhengde discovered glove-puppetry by chance during his college years. Ever since, he’s developed a playful spirit and passion towards puppetry. He then went on to join National Taiwan University’s Glove Puppetry Club and Seden Traditional Theater, both established with the support of Seden Glove Puppetry Foundation. He continues to show his passion in traditional glove puppetry, from administrative work to performer, from the front stage to the back, from promotion to education, Wu Zhengde has done it all.

Establishing the Subjectivity of Glove Puppetry Culture Before joining Seden, Xie Dexi was head of the Data Room at The Capitol Morning Post, collecting and organizing documents and data related to Taiwan. He wrote the article, Modern Figures of Taiwan, focusing on influential people who shaped Taiwan’s history in the 20th century. He also wrote the 1949 to 1966 timeline of Chronicles of Taiwan, published by Jinxiu Publishing Company, documenting important historical events of that era. Dedicating many years into the historical research of modern Taiwan, allowed him to gain many cultural experiences. This became Xie’s foundation for collaborating with puppet masters Huang Haidai, known as the Grandmaster of Heaven, I Wan Jan Puppet Theater’s Li Tianlu, and Hsin Hsing

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Xie Dexi is a well-known Taiwanese historian and is currently a docent at the Cheng Family Abode by the Gongsitian River. He previously served as head of Tamsui Shell Story House, Executive Director and Deputy CEO of Tamsui Culture Foundation, Deputy Director of Tamsui Community College, and Editor in Chief of Tamsui Culture Community Newspaper（文化淡水社區報）. From 1996 to 1999, he was Director of Seden Foundation and head of the glove puppetry theater. During that time, he made significant efforts in gathering historical sources for the foundation and conducting related academic fieldwork projects. Utilizing his expertise in history, he worked with Zhong Renbi and many other puppeteers to create new plays and scripts based on stories of Taiwanese history that reflected

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From A Housewife to the Driving Force Behind Traditional Arts It has been more than 30 years since the establishment of the Seden Glove Puppetry Foundation. The original three professors’ pure passion for glove puppetry and traditional culture has led to the establishment of a glove puppetry foundation. The process of the Seden Foundation deserves recording in the annals of time, from its initial planning, formal establishment, institutionalization, to the establishment of the troupe and doing performances. As the first non-governmental organization in Taiwan devoted to traditional Taiwanese glove puppetry (poo-te-hi), every step taken is a milestone. Executive Director Li Laifu filled in between the big events with her actions, quietly providing the Foundation’s solid foundation. The Story Begins Here

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Li Laifu is currently an advisor to the Seden Glove Puppetry Foundation. In 1984, she joined and assisted in the preparation of the establishment of the Foundation, which was formally founded in May 1985. In 1988, she formally assumed the position of Executive Director to assist in the Foundation’s financial consolidation. Additionally, she formed a new Board of Directors, whose members include doctors, lawyers, and entrepreneurs, all of whom are passionate about Taiwanese culture. Each of them donates NT$50,000 per year to solve funding problems. The Foundation has grown from nothing to a strong-grounded organization, and for that, they have Li Laifu much to thank; she was an important driving force behind the establishment of the Seden Glove Puppetry Foundation.

Motivated by Taiwanese Culture: Actively Harnessing the Power of Local Culture Glove Puppetry was the Daily Bread to My Soul Since the age of two, Chen Rongxiang would watch puppetry troupes come and go at the temple gate with his mother, who was also a lover of Taiwanese opera and glove puppetry. Chen studied at three elementary schools. Besides being located by the sea and in the countryside, there was one more thing all the schools had in common. During the holidays, there would always be glove puppetry performances to watch. For a child, transferring schools was not easy. You’d have to adapt to a new environment and meet new faces. But for Chen, when recalling those school days, it

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