Puppets consist of a canvas glove in the shape of a gown on which the head, hands and feet are attached.

Only these pieces are made of camphor wood.
This glove is then dressed and coifed for each show, just as if it were an actor, which allows a multiplicity of roles as required in different plays.

The finely embroidered costumes and very elaborate head-dress conspire to make us forget that this is "just" a puppet show.

Each company generally possessed ca. 100 heads, but many more costumes and head-dresses to allow for a great number of roles.

Those who sculpted divinities took on the constrution of the puppets' heads, hands and feet. Some sculptors became famous, such as Jiang Jia Zou, the Huang brothers from Xuan Zhou or A Sen in Zhang Hua in the middle of Taiwan.

This corporation of sculptors mastered the magic formulas needed to stop errant spirits from sliding inside the puppets, a possibility made plausible by their resemblance to mankind.