The Culture Center of Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in the Philippines conducted a teacher training workshop titled “The Charm of Taiwanese Puppetry: Where Tradition Meets Innovation”, bringing together 16 Mandarin language teachers from across Metro Manila.
The workshop is part of Taiwan’s cultural seed teacher program, organized by the Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC).
It featured Dr. Uly Yu, an expert in visual arts and ink painting, who led the session by introducing participants to the history and artistic traditions of Taiwanese glove puppetry- a cultural icon that blends education and entertainment.
Participants took part in hands-on puppet-making activities, including fabric cutting and painting puppet heads, while exploring the storytelling techniques embedded in the art form.
Culture Center director Eric Po-Chih Chuang highlighted the importance of Taiwan’s folk traditions and encouraged educators to incorporate cultural elements into Mandarin language teaching.
He also promoted OCAC’s digital teaching platform, HuayuWorld, which offers online resources and upcoming webinars for Mandarin instructors.
The teachers lauded the workshop’s blend of culture and creativity, noting its strong value in enriching overseas Mandarin language education and preserving Taiwan’s cultural identity.
