Making Deity Puppets

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When we worshipped at temples with our parents, we would see different deities residing on the altar. Fude Temple on Dianzai Street was no different. Before we started our research, we did not recognize most of the deities at Fude Temple on Dianzai Street, and we believed most children were just like us. Therefore, in order to introduce deities that are common in Taiwanese temples to students and teachers at Yu-Tsai, we decided to make large deity puppets that will be displayed as art exhibitions at school.

Event Profile

Event Flow Chart

assign deity puppets		collect data		make deity puppets		display decoration
2019/1/4		2019/1/4~1/7		2019/1/7~1/14		2019/1/15~1/30

Assign deity puppets

There are many deities in Taiwanese temples, so we focused on ten deities worshipped at Fude Temple on Dianzai Street. We picked ten deities that were commonly seen, with unique characteristics, and more suitable for children to worship, and then we transformed them into 100 CM-tall puppets.

Collect data on deities

│Photo: The Wondrous Temple Expedition│

After each of us got assigned with a deity, we started searching for pictures of the deity. Since we planned to make a large puppet with color paper, we looked for pictures of deity in anime-style as reference. After we have finalized on the pictures, we started working on the text to introduce each deity.

Make deity puppets

Before we started making the puppets, our teachers bought a lot of supplies such as color paper, cardboard paper, double-sided tape, and anchoring clips. They also reminded us to make the joints separately so the limbs would be able to move, just like when we made the still-frame animation. We started by outlining the parts on color paper, and then after some cutting and pasting, we sketched out the parts in more detail. Next, we glued the paper onto cardboard paper to add some thickness. Finally, we attached the limbs to the body with anchoring clips, and the deity puppet was complete! When we saw the finished puppets, we felt really proud of ourselves!

Display decoration

│Photo: The Wondrous Temple Expedition│

We hung the puppets on the walls outside of grade one classrooms. Underneath each puppet, we placed a note to briefly introduce each deity so our schoolmates and teachers would be able to learn more about the deity. During recess, we saw lots of students admiring at the puppets and reading the notes. Some students even worshipped the puppets!

Afterthoughts

Among all the activities we had, my favorite was making deity puppets. I was responsible for making the Mazu puppet. At first, I worked on it by myself, but I was really slow and inefficient. Luckily, my teammates came to help, and that really sped up the process tremendously. When it was finally done, everyone was in awe as to what a fine job I had done making the puppet.

I think making deity puppet was a really fun challenge. It also tested our patience because we had to cut and paste meticulously to maintain the artwork’s integrity. After the finished puppets were hung on the wall, it was quite a sight, and the color was really vibrant.

Each of us had to make a deity puppet that is about 100 CM in height. At first, I was so behind that I was afraid I might not be able to finish it in time. Fortunately, I found some help, so I was able to catch up gradually. I want to thank my helpers because had it not been their helping out, I might have to pull a few all-nighters just to finish the puppet! I learned that when I encounter a problem, I should ask for help at the right time so I may overcome the obstacle faster.

We made the deity puppets with cardboard paper and color paper. After we learned which deity puppet we had to make, everyone got really busy, and we were constantly worrying about not being able to finish the puppets in time. Fortunately, our teachers worked with us to complete the puppets. They even suggested tying a heart to each end of the red line to amplify the effect, and it turned out really well!

Through making deity puppets, I gained a better grasp on the proportion of human anatomy. Art may not be everyone’s forte, but through hard work and persistence, even though we may be completely tired out at the end, we still learned to appreciate and cherish the process that got us to the end.

Source Text: The Wondrous Temple Expedition Amber │ Photos: The Wondrous Temple Expedition