The art of shadow puppetry in Shanghai is faced with extinction now that Qu Moxi, 77, the last surviving maker of shadow figures, says he is too old to perform anymore, Shanghai Morning Post reports.

Qu, who lives in Qibao Town where the shadow plays of Shanghai originated, has not performed for 10 years. And on October 8, he underwent two operations.

At its peak, before the Japanese invasion, there were 21 such troupes performing in Shanghai.

But the art form gradually lost favour with the public over time. And Qu went to work as the gatekeeper for a local factory that recently stopped production.

None of his sons was interested in carrying on the tradition.

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