Shadow puppetry makes its appearance at Beijing cultural expo

Updated: 2015-11-12
( chinadaily.com.cn)

The 10th China (Beijing) International Culture and Creative Industry Expo, Oct 29 - Nov 1, in Beijing, had a Pingyao shadow puppet as a highlight, showing the skill and artistry of this traditional folk art and providing a visual feast for visitors, china.com.cn reports on Nov 4.

Shadow puppetry, or shadow play, is a form of storytelling where the performers manipulate flat figures (puppets) to get them to laugh, walk, and nod in front of a screen, accompanied by folk songs and music.

The expo show was put on by members of a Pingyao Longzaitian shadow puppetry club, which was established in 2012 to keep shadow puppetry from completely disappearing after it entered a period of decline 50 years ago. The club recruited its members from dwarfs who are less than 1.35 meters tall from across China.

The expo show resulted in some contracts for the club worth at least 300,000 yuan ($47,100) and a cooperation agreement with a Shanxi arts and crafts group and a Chinese training school.

The club holds puppet shows every day near the North gate of old Pingyao, to maintain shadow puppetry as an art form.

Audience watch shadow puppet show at the Beijing Culture and Creative Industry Expo. [Photo/china.com.cn]

Pingyao Longzaitian shadow puppet club gets ready for their expo performance. [Photo/china.com.cn]