There are many ancient cultural aspects and arts in Fujian province which have been preserved in the communities over hundreds of years. Puppet drama, which has been popular in this land since the Tang and Song dynasties, is one of them. There are many kinds of puppet drama in Fujian, but the one which is closest to the religious ritual is that of marionettes. Marionettes in China first appeared during the Han Dynasty as a part of the funeral rituals. It inherited its matrix, the ritual culture, and is closely connected to people’s social life (including religion and entertainment). It has thus developed many different and rich ritual cultural elements, fusing religion and art in one folk art, enabling it to last under different complex social and historical conditions until the present day. The development of the marionette ritual in Fujian can be traced from documents in different time periods. The ritual culture of the marionette in Fujian is presented in two ways: the first one is the ritual performance in the shrines, and the second one is the theatrical marionette performance on stage. In regard to theatrical performance, the marionette performance in Fujian preserves many traditional religious programs, such as: Furenxi, Guanyinxi, Tiangongxi, and Mulianxi. These programs preserve not only the features of the ancient ritual but also the essence of the puppet drama. It is very important to understand the historical development and cultural features of puppet drama through the exploration of the ritual culture which engendered it.