Chinese shadow puppetry is a dramatic form of storytelling acted by colorful silhouette figures made from animal skin or paper, accompanied by music and singing. It has gained wide popularity across China where different styles of shadow puppetry were formed according to local culture and characteristics. Local shadow puppetry includes Huaxian shadow puppetry, Laoqiang Opera of Huayin County, Agongqiang shadow puppetry, Xianbanqiang shadow puppetry in Shannxi, Daoqing shadow puppetry in Gansu province, Wanwanqiang shadow puppetry in Shanxi, Tangshan shadow puppetry and Jinan shadow puppetry in Hebei, Haining shadow puppetry in Zhejiang, Jianghan shadow puppetry in Hubei, Lufeng shadow puppetry in Guangdong, Fuzhou shadow puppetry and Lingyuan shadow puppetry in Liaoning province.

The formation time of shadow puppetry has not been confirmed yet, but according to the record of Dongjing Menghua Lu written by Meng Yuanlao of the Southern Song Dynasty, it has been mature and popular in the Song Dynasty. At that time, there were nine practitioners of shadow puppetry in Dongjing, such as Dong Shiwu, Zhao Qi and Cao Baoyi. There is a picture of shadow puppetry on the mural of Manjusri Hall of Fanzhi Yanshan Temple in Shanxi during the Jin Dynasty, which vividly shows the scenes of shadow puppetry performances in Shanxi at that time. After the development of the Song, Jin, Yuan and Ming dynasties, shadow puppetry, which was popular all over the country, flourished in the Qing Dynasty.

Shadow puppetry is an important traditional folk art in China. In recent years, due to the impact of modern film and television art, the audience and performance market is decreasing increasingly. Shadow puppetry is in danger of disappearance and should be urgently rescued and protected. Tangshan shadow puppetry, also known as Luanzhou shadow puppetry, Leting shadow puppetry and Donkey Skin shadow puppetry, is one of the most influential shadow puppetries in China. It is generally believed that Luanzhou shadow puppetry originated in the late Ming Dynasty and prevailed in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, with a history of more than 400 years.

Two operators, Shang Xian and Xia Xian are required in their performances. They will control the movements of puppets with 3 poles which are called the Main Pole and Hand Pole. Nicknamed the business of the five, a shadow puppet troupe is made up of five people. One operates the puppets, one plays a horn, a suo-na horn, and a yu-kin, one plays banhu fiddle, one is in charge of percussion instruments, and one sings.

To finish shadow puppets, the printing of silhouettes, cutting out the general shapes and straight lines, printing and assembling are needed. The figures of shadow puppets can be divided into Sheng, Xiao, Da, Bin and Chou.

The research on Tangshan shadow puppetry is important for the understanding of local customs, culture and religions. In the course of its development and inheritance, the materials, techniques and performance of shadow puppetry have been improving, which stands out as an excellent intangible cultural heritage. The tune, music, performance and shape of Tangshan shadow puppets are unique of their kind, which has been praised by domestic and foreign audiences and has great value in research.

At present, less than 10 people can continue the work on scripts of shadow puppetry. Few apprentices of shadow puppetry who are interested in traditional art can be found. Now Tangshan shadow puppetry is in urgent need of protection.

Translator: ZHANG Ruochen

Reviewer: WANG Jiahui