Puppetry is a form of theatre or performance that involves the manipulation of puppets – inanimate objects, often resembling some type of human or animal figure, that are animated or manipulated by a human called a puppeteer. Such a performance is also known as a puppet production. Uzbek puppetry is considered to be a traditional art genre, which evolved in the form of an ancient traditional theatre of people. Folk puppeteers used "qol qoghirchoq" (puppet played with hands or gloves), "ip qoghirchoq" (puppet-marionette), "mayda qoghirchoq" (small puppet) or "katta qoghirchoq" (big puppet). Main feature of the puppetry is that main heroes are puppets and an actor, who manipulates them, hides behind the scene. The puppet show, which combined traditional as well as contemporary ideas, was staged together with folk pantomime dances, under accompaniment of music of national instruments. In the ХХ century there were more than 40 troupes of traditional puppet theatre in Uzbekistan. Most of them were engaged in hand puppet ("Chodir jamol"), the marionettes theatre ("Chodir hayol"), on the other hand, it was possible to see only rarely in Tashkent, Bukhara, Qoqand, Samarkand and Khiva. At present this art is being revived again thanks to the activity of craftsmen, who make puppets and actors-puppeteers. Puppet making is an ancient type of folk applied art. This type of art was evolved as a result of human’s relationship with the nature. Initial puppets were animalshaped and made of clay. They became more complicated step by step. Central Asian people mainly occupied with agriculture and cattle-raising and their art was associated with their lifestyle. Uzbek people have always loved children. Children always need dolls and puppets. Such puppets as sheep, lamb, duck, geese, roosters, fish, shell whistled and others were among them.

The Teochew Puppetry tradition of Penang is a distinct and increasingly rare form of puppetry that narrates folk tales and legends through a skillful play of marionette puppets. It is a more traditional and challenging form of opera, requiring fast and fluid animation of puppets to imitate human-like gestures. Traditionally, puppetry troupes consist of nine members divided into groups of three to handle puppets, sing and play musical instruments. The orchestra comprises of gongs, drums, er hu and cymbals. Each puppet takes about two to three weeks to make and are hand-crafted from wood, clay and paper, weighing several kilograms each. Older puppets are made of tightly-packed bundles of hay. The puppets are controlled by iron-rods attached to the back and limbs. Each character would have its own newly-made costume, richly detailed, just like those of a regular Chinese opera performer.