More importantly, it means that craftspeople can put gears inside the hollowed puppet heads to allow them to be mechanically operated — the nose, eyes and mouth of a puppet can all move via the use of rods.

Wang is blazing new trails and combines the traditional craftsmanship with modern technology.

His well-designed puppets can not only execute complicated movements, but also perform bianlian, or face-changing, a traditional Chinese opera stunt.

Journey to the West, a classic Chinese novel, has been frequently adapted to puppet shows. In the tale, the Monkey King is depicted with the ability to tell monsters from ordinary human beings, with his piercing eyes. To recreate this power in a vivid way, in his show, Wang makes the Monkey King puppet shoot laser beams from his eyes and spit fire from its mouth.

In the past, puppet makers used homemade pigments such as charcoal and cinnabar to decorate their puppets. Nowadays, they can choose from various paints to ensure the "makeup" of their puppets is on point.