Culture Insider: Chinese shadow puppetry

Updated: 2014-08-13 07:00 (chinadaily.com.cn)

People watching a shadow puppet play in Xi'an, Shaanxi province. [Photo/IC]

4. How is shadow puppetry being preserved for future generations?

Now that people have more entertainment options, it's no wonder the traditional art is declining.

The traditional art is facing a challenge. As the market shrinks, audiences become smaller and its future is threatened. Training in the art is intensive and the pay is low, so young people are not willing to learn.

The Ministry of Culture has formulated policies to foster its development, and many puppetry lovers are making their efforts to preserve the heritage.

Shadow puppetry was listed within the country's first batch of National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2006, and is recognized as a world heritage by UNESCO in 2011. Still, the preservation work should be carried through, as the folk art needs to be cherished and passed forward.

For more Culture Insider, here

Folk artist Jing Tingxiao, 63 years old, presents Daoqing (a folk operetta originated from the chanting of Taoist scriptures) shadow play backstage at Chenqiyuan village in Huanxian county, Qingyang, Northwest China's Gansu province. More...

Folk artists get due honor

For the first time, folk craftsmen and artists from all over China have received national recognition for passing down their traditions. The Chinese National Academy of Arts presented the Xinchuan Award to 60 inheritors of traditional Chinese culture. More...


Puppet opera revitalized in Shanxi	A puppeteer and his puppet performance life	Couples in Shandong preserving puppetry

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