School: Taipei Municipal Wanhua Junior High School
    Taipei, N/A - Does Not Apply, ??

5 students, ages 14 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on March 12, 2026. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2025

Classes and Teachers: CHEN,LI-RU

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://https://www.whjhs.tp.edu.tw/nss/p/index

1. Description of Our Community

Because one of our group members became interested in glove puppetry after passing through Dadaocheng in elementary school and watching a performance, he has loved it ever since. He enjoys the detailed movements of the puppets and the beauty of the Taiwanese lines, which carry deep historical meaning.

For the rest of us, we had never seen or tried glove puppetry before. His proposal attracted our attention, and through this project, we also learned about this traditional art. At the same time, we discovered the crisis that the cultural traditions behind glove puppetry are slowly fading away.

2. Summary of Our Project

In our International Schools CyberFair project, we started by brainstorming research topics as a team. After discussing and convincing each other, we decided to focus on the issue of cultural decline. For our research, we referred not only to online articles but also to relevant books. In addition, we invited a glove puppetry master, introduced by one of our team members, to give us a hands-on puppetry class, which was both fun and engaging.

Finally, we presented our research findings to all students and teachers at our school. We hope that those who have never experienced glove puppetry before can develop interest through our project and start exploring this traditional art. As long as people have the chance to engage with, understand, and continue to experience the culture, it will not disappear.

3. Our Computer and Internet Access

A. Percentage of students using the Internet at home:21-50%

B. Number of workstations with Internet access in the classroom:4-6

C. Connection speed used in the classroom:dedicated connection

D. Number of years our classroom has been connected to the Internet:2-3

E. Additional comments concerning your computer and/or Internet access (Optional):

The school Wi-Fi is sometimes unstable, but overall it did not significantly affect our project research. The classroom computers are older iMacs that the IT department planned to retire, which are different from the Android systems most students are familiar with. As a result, students needed some time to get used to them. Nevertheless, given the limited resources, the students worked hard to overcome these challenges, showing admirable perseverance and a strong research spirit.

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

Because we are currently junior high school students, our daily schedules are very busy, with seven regular classes and the option to take an eighth class. In addition, our five team members mostly come from different classes, so we could only meet occasionally for discussions. As a result, it took us almost a month to decide on our research direction. However, as our teamwork improved, subsequent group discussions became smoother and more efficient. Now, we all feel very proud and honored to have successfully completed this research project together.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

We are students in the English Gifted Program and receive special education services. In our independent research class, we learned to search, collect, analyze, and organize information with teacher guidance, gradually developing self-directed learning.

During the project, we presented our research to the school and invited a glove puppetry master to give a hands-on class, demonstrate puppet operation, and introduce the characters. Students not only learned the basic roles of Sheng, Dan, Jing, Mo, and Chou, but also turned curiosity into active learning. After this first experience, glove puppetry no longer felt unfamiliar.

We are grateful that many people continue to promote and protect this culture, ensuring this valuable heritage can be preserved for future generations.

6. How did your activities and research for this CyberFair Project support standards, required coursework and curriculum standards?

Regarding our group composition, we were fortunate to have a member who had previously learned glove puppetry. Through him, we invited Chen Guan-Lin, a well-known disciple of Chen Xi-Huang, to guide us. With his help, we not only learned about the different puppet roles but also had the chance to operate the puppets ourselves. This hands-on experience brought us joy and a strong sense of accomplishment.

1) What information tools & technologies did you used to complete your CyberFair project?

We participated in the International CyberFair to help students from other countries rediscover the evolution of Taiwanese glove puppetry—its transformation from traditional religious performances to public education, community entertainment, and now its competition with modern and diverse leisure activities. We are grateful to our team member who invited his teacher to support this project. This gave our students, many of whom had never experienced glove puppetry before, the chance to see and operate the puppets up close. Through this project and competition, we hope to let the world recognize the cultural value and significance of this traditional art.

2) In what ways did you act as "ambassadors" and spokespersons for your CyberFair project both on-line and in person.

Through the website we created, we believe that visitors can gain a much better understanding of the roles of sheng, dan, jing, mo, and chou in glove puppetry. Although it was unfortunate that our International CyberFair partners could not experience operating the puppets in person, we carefully recorded videos to present our research process and share the full context of our project with them.

What made us happiest was seeing the growth within our own team. At the beginning, most members had never encountered glove puppetry. Now, not only has every member had the chance to experience it, but we have also encouraged other classmates to try operating the puppets as well. This gives us a strong sense of accomplishment, because it feels like we are helping keep this traditional culture alive rather than letting it fade away.

3) What has been the impact of your project on your community?

Through this project, we observed changes among our classmates. Many who had never experienced glove puppetry before have now had the chance to try it. At first, they thought glove puppetry was not a modern or fashionable form of entertainment, but by the end, they could appreciate the remarkable skill it takes to convey emotion over time. Seeing these changes in our classmates, we realized that this is one of the major impacts that our group research has brought about.

4) How did your project involve other members of your community as helpers and volunteers?

Completing the CyberFair project was not easy. We invited senior students who had previously participated in CyberFair to share their experiences with us. They guided us on how to create a website. Although building a website involves many advanced skills, we ultimately chose a simpler and more accessible approach to present our work. We plan to continue learning the more advanced techniques in the future.

We are very grateful to the teachers, professors, and senior students who assisted us, as well as to our school for providing the necessary resources. Thanks to the support from the school, we were able to invite our team member’s master to give our students an unprecedented journey into the traditional culture of glove puppetry.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

What we found most fascinating were the five types of characters in glove puppetry. Watching the master use different techniques to open fans, manipulate chairs, or skillfully handle props like magic carpets sparked our imagination. These are experiences that online video games simply cannot replicate. Even though many people today have devices like the Nintendo Switch, operating a glove puppet requires far more precision and skill. What makes it truly special, however, is the combination of classical Chinese narration, Taiwanese dialogue, and the emotions built over time in the performance. These elements are essential for our generation to learn, and they represent the most beautiful aspects of this traditional art.