The largest puppet festival in Korea, the annual Puppet Festival Chuncheon, kicks off on Aug. 9-15 this year. Marking its 25th anniversary, the festival will present 200 performances by 96 teams of puppeteers and puppet theater troupes from Korea and abroad.

Seven acclaimed puppet troupes from six countries including Greece, China, Portugal, Bulgaria, New Zealand and Spain are participating in the festival. Greek team Nevma Theatre will feature the bunraku-style (a form of traditional Japanese puppet theater) “Lemonia” on Aug. 10, followed by Spain’s “Don’t Touch My Hands” by Valeria Guglietti Cia and “Wooden Clowns” by Herta Frankle Puppet Company on the next day.

The festival will also feature the Chinese traditional shadow puppet show “Crane and Turtle” by Theater Laoting, Portugal’s “ETC” by S.A. Marionetas, and Bulgaria’s “Here, There and Everywhere” by Trio Theater. New Zealand’s troupe the String Bean Puppets will be presenting street performances “The Mermaid Song” and “The Portrait Painter.”

A total of 82 professional and amateur Korean troupes will also participate in the event. Korean performances will include well-known classics such as “Three Little Pigs,” “Alice in Wonderland,” and “Grandma Making Porridge.”

Since its launch in 1989, the annual festival has been increasingly recognized as the representative event of Chuncheon, drawing acts and audiences from around the world. The opening of the Chuncheon Puppet Theatre and the Puppet Drama Museum in 2001 has greatly bolstered the presence of puppet theater in the city.

The festival will provide a range of special events for children such as a flea market and a program that allows children to experience the process of producing a puppet show, from editing the script and making the puppets to performing on stage. In addition, there will be a magic show, a circus show, and music performances every evening at 8 p.m. For more information, visit www.cocobau.com or call (033) 242-8450.

By Suh Hye-rim (sheren6735@heraldcorp.com)