Taiwanese puppets burned in fire

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A fire at a warehouse in Taiwan has destroyed 400 of the island's best examples of antique cloth puppets.

It is a blow to an ancient art form which dates back centuries.

The fire broke out on Tuesday at the warehouse in Huwei, Yunlin County, where the rare, life-like puppets were being stored.

The puppet collection was one of the largest in Taiwan and belonged to one of its most well known puppet masters Huang Chun-hsiung.

Beloved

The blaze is believed to have been caused by flames from an agricultural fire.

Some of the puppets which were destroyed were beloved martial arts heroes and heroines more than 100 years old.

Others were so famous they had been given names.

"They were like movie stars," Mr Huang's son Huang Li-kang said.

Around 1,500 puppets in the warehouse were saved from the flames.

Entertainment

Cloth puppet shows originated in south eastern China's Fujian province centuries ago.

Before there were televisions or even theatres in Taiwan, puppet shows provided the main source of entertainment.

Troupes travelled from one town or village to another performing in makeshift theatres.

In modern Taiwan some puppet shows have been turned into television programmes.

But in recent years puppet masters have struggled to attract young people to learn their profession and to garner new generations of fans.