The Petrushka. [Photo provided to enquanzhou.com]

The Quanzhou International Puppet Festival is being held from Dec 11 to 15 in Quanzhou, a world heritage city in East China's Fujian province.

As a core event of the 2025 Maritime Silk Road International Cultural Tourism Festival, its launching ceremony takes place on Dec 12 at the Confucius Temple in Licheng district, with Chinese and international puppet artists jointly performing the Wonderful Puppet World, embodying the theme "A Shared Global Stage in the World Heritage City".

Its closing ceremony will be held on Dec 15 at the Quanzhou Puppet Theatre, featuring brilliant performances selected from the festival and highlighting the innovative creations of puppet and shadow performers in recent years.

The event invites over 500 puppet artists from 37 performance teams across nine countries and regions, including nine teams from eight countries such as Russia, Argentina, and Egypt.

Comprising the most complete types, including string puppets, hand puppets, and shadow puppets, it boasts the most performers compared to previous international puppet festivals.

The event features over 90 performances across over 40 locations, including theatres and shopping malls. Stages are set up at more than 10 major plazas in Quanzhou, such as the Confucius Temple and West Street, enabling both locals and visitors to enjoy the cultural feast without traveling overseas.