Taipei, Jan. 31 (CNA) As the heartland of Taiwanese glove puppetry, it is fitting that Yunlin County's Huwei Township now features a six-meter tall statue of a glove puppetry icon in the middle of town.
The statue replaced a retired clock tower which stood in the center of Huwei's landmark roundabout.
Standing 6 meters tall, the stainless steel statue depicts a popular puppet character, Su Huan-jen (素還真), the iconic main character of one of Taiwan's most prominent glove puppetry studios Pili (霹靂), dressed in his usual traditional Chinese robes while holding his signature fly whisk.
The art installation was commissioned by the township office from local sculptor Yang Po-lin (楊柏林), who was born in the county's Kouhu Township.
The township office and the Yunlin County government held a ceremony on Dec. 29, 2021 to officially show off the statue as the township's new landmark, though Jan. 1, 2022 was set as the official date that it was unveiled.
During the ceremony in December, the town's mayor Ting Hsueh-chung (丁學忠) revealed that the statue cost around NT$10 million (US$361,735.60).
Ting encouraged fans of Taiwanese glove puppetry to visit the new landmark, as its different looks in the day and at night visually showcase the town as the hub and birthplace of modern Taiwanese glove puppetry.
At the same ceremony, Yunlin County Magistrate Chang Li-shan (張麗善) also added that the statue took six months to complete.
She also said that the installation was crafted using 316 grade stainless steel, hoping that the resilient material will help pass down the spirit of traditional culture to future generations.
