Golden Eagle's Return: A Special Exhibition of Longxingge's Martial Arts Puppet Theatre

Taiwanese hand puppet theater (Budaixi) has undergone development through different periods, evolving diverse performance styles and content, allowing it to continuously grow, take deep root, and even flourish. It can be said to be the most vibrant and widely influential theatrical art form among Taiwan's three major puppet genres. In the development history of Taiwanese Budaixi, lineages often branched out due to different mentorships or schools, such as the 'Zhou' (洲) and 'Ge' (閣) schools. However, troupes established in different eras, while able to inherit tradition, also need to innovate and forge new paths. In Yunlin County, known as the 'hometown of Budaixi,' there are important lineage systems such as 'Wuzhouyuan' and 'Xinxingge,' which have branched out and flourished, exerting profound influence on Taiwanese Budaixi. Yunlin County is home to many renowned troupes. Among them, 'Longxingge,' originating from the Xiluo Ge school, has been managed by two generations and further passed down, inherited and promoted by the current troupe leader, Liao Zhaotang. The troupe excels in performing traditional 'Gucexi' (classical script plays) and 'Jinguangxi' (golden light plays), especially featuring their representative work 'The Legend of the Five-Clawed Golden Eagle.' This play has been promoted across various regions and has received widespread positive feedback and affection from a large audience, as well as support and recognition from academia, government agencies, and other sectors.