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Shadow Puppetry

Ⅳ-91Traditional OperaShanwei, GuangdongBatch 1 (2006)Newly Added Item

01 · Historical Records

The exact time of the formation of shadow puppetry has not been conclusively established; but according to the 'Dongjing Menghua Lu' (A Record of Dreams of the Eastern Capital) written by Meng Yuanlao of the Southern Song, it had already matured and flourished by the Song dynasty at the latest, and the shadow-play artists in the washi (entertainment quarters) of Dongjing, Bianliang already included nine men such as Dong Shiwu, Zhao Qi and Cao Baoyi. After development through the four historical periods of the Song, Jin, Yuan and Ming, shadow puppetry, which was current all over the country, showed a flourishing scene in the Qing dynasty. Lufeng shadow puppetry made its home in this small town; it has a long history, was formed in the Song dynasty, flourished in the Ming and Qing dynasties, and became widespread in the period of the Republic of China. After 1975 it went to Beijing many times to take part in performances, and the plays it presented, such as 'Zhan Eshou' (Fighting the Fierce Beast), 'Ji Yu She' (The Chicken and the Snake), 'Gui Tu Saipao' (The Tortoise and the Hare Race), 'Feitian' (Flying Apsaras), 'Ji Dou' (The Cock Fight) and 'Kuta' (Weeping at the Pagoda), were warmly received.

02 · Core Techniques & Process

Shadow puppetry is a form of Chinese drama in which figures are cut from animal hide or cardboard and stories are performed by projecting light through the cut figures. Its range of diffusion is extremely wide, reaching almost every province and region of the country; and because the vocal styles performed differ from place to place, a great variety of shadow-puppet forms have arisen, such as Huaxian shadow puppetry, Huayin laoqiang shadow puppetry, Agongqiang shadow puppetry and Xianbanqiang shadow puppetry in Shaanxi; Huanxian daoqing shadow puppetry in Gansu; Xiaoyi wanwanqiang shadow puppetry in Shanxi; Tangshan shadow puppetry and southern Hebei shadow puppetry in Hebei; Haining shadow puppetry in Zhejiang; Jianghan Plain shadow puppetry in Hubei; Lufeng shadow puppetry in Guangdong; and Fuzhou and Lingyuan shadow puppetry in Liaoning. In the Jin-dynasty murals of the Wenshu Hall of Yanshan Temple at Fanshi in Shanxi there is a painting called 'Yingxi Tu' (Picture of Shadow Play), which vividly and concretely depicts the actual conditions of a shadow-puppet performance in Shanxi at that time. Although shadow puppetry has many varieties, the differences lie mainly in vocal style and repertoire; the making of the shadow figures and the performing technique differ only in small ways. A shadow figure is generally made by first scraping the hair and blood from cowhide, donkey hide or goatskin and processing it to a semi-translucent state, and then carving and painting it; its carving and painting stress fine knife work and lifelike modelling. A shadow figure is generally divided into several parts, the head, the body and the limbs, and all are in profile; the head carries a helmet or headdress, and the body and limbs are all clothed; after oil colours have been applied it is baked with hot bricks and pressed flat, and the figure is finished. In performance the head of the figure is inserted into the body, the body is joined to the limbs, and at the same time three bamboo rods are fitted to the body and the two hands, so that the figure can be manipulated in the show. Besides the character figures, some stage properties, tables, chairs and scenic pieces are also carved to accompany the performance. The main apparatus is the shadow screen, commonly called the 'liangzi', generally 3 chi high and 5 chi wide, at most 4 chi high and 6 chi wide, with white paper used as the curtain so that a single performer can operate it. Second is a single oil lamp, used to project the shadow figures and their movements. Lufeng shadow puppetry is the sole surviving remnant of Chaozhou shadow puppetry, one of the three great shadow-puppet systems of China, and the Lufeng Municipal Shadow Puppet Troupe is the only professional shadow-puppet troupe in Guangdong Province. Lufeng shadow puppetry has always lived and developed among the people. It carries the genetic character of the ancient Southern Min speech area and has been nourished by the folk customs of the Hailufeng region; its vocal music is rich and strongly marked by local character, its painting and carving are exquisite, and its performance is vivid and lifelike, elegant and worth watching. Lufeng City lies on the shore of Jieshi Bay in the southeastern part of Guangdong Province, facing the South China Sea to the south and adjoining Hong Kong and Macao; it lies between the two special economic zones of Shenzhen and Shantou, with very convenient water and land transport. In the period of war and turmoil on the eve of the founding of the People's Republic of China, most other forms of drama stopped playing and disbanded their companies, while shadow-puppet troupes stayed active in the surrounding townships, which shows the deep popular basis and the strong vitality of shadow puppetry. After the founding of the People's Republic of China it was revived and developed, and its painting, music, production, performance, effects and stage lighting all drew attention far and wide; wherever it performs it is warmly welcomed by audiences, and children are even more fond of it. Its area of performance kept expanding: it has not only visited the cities and counties of northern Guangdong and Guangzhou, but has also left its mark in several cities and counties of Fujian.

Zhan Eshou (Fighting the Fierce Beast)

After 1975 it went to Beijing many times to take part in performances, and the plays it presented, such as 'Zhan Eshou' (Fighting the Fierce Beast), 'Ji Yu She' (The Chicken and the Snake), 'Gui Tu Saipao' (The Tortoise and the Hare Race), 'Feitian' (Flying Apsaras), 'Ji Dou' (The Cock Fight) and 'Kuta' (Weeping at the Pagoda), were warmly received.

Ji Yu She (The Chicken and the Snake)

After 1975 it went to Beijing many times to take part in performances, and the plays it presented, such as 'Zhan Eshou' (Fighting the Fierce Beast), 'Ji Yu She' (The Chicken and the Snake), 'Gui Tu Saipao' (The Tortoise and the Hare Race), 'Feitian' (Flying Apsaras), 'Ji Dou' (The Cock Fight) and 'Kuta' (Weeping at the Pagoda), were warmly received.

Gui Tu Saipao (The Tortoise and the Hare Race)

After 1975 it went to Beijing many times to take part in performances, and the plays it presented, such as 'Zhan Eshou' (Fighting the Fierce Beast), 'Ji Yu She' (The Chicken and the Snake), 'Gui Tu Saipao' (The Tortoise and the Hare Race), 'Feitian' (Flying Apsaras), 'Ji Dou' (The Cock Fight) and 'Kuta' (Weeping at the Pagoda), were warmly received.

Feitian (Flying Apsaras)

After 1975 it went to Beijing many times to take part in performances, and the plays it presented, such as 'Zhan Eshou' (Fighting the Fierce Beast), 'Ji Yu She' (The Chicken and the Snake), 'Gui Tu Saipao' (The Tortoise and the Hare Race), 'Feitian' (Flying Apsaras), 'Ji Dou' (The Cock Fight) and 'Kuta' (Weeping at the Pagoda), were warmly received.

Ji Dou (The Cock Fight)

After 1975 it went to Beijing many times to take part in performances, and the plays it presented, such as 'Zhan Eshou' (Fighting the Fierce Beast), 'Ji Yu She' (The Chicken and the Snake), 'Gui Tu Saipao' (The Tortoise and the Hare Race), 'Feitian' (Flying Apsaras), 'Ji Dou' (The Cock Fight) and 'Kuta' (Weeping at the Pagoda), were warmly received.

Kuta (Weeping at the Pagoda)

After 1975 it went to Beijing many times to take part in performances, and the plays it presented, such as 'Zhan Eshou' (Fighting the Fierce Beast), 'Ji Yu She' (The Chicken and the Snake), 'Gui Tu Saipao' (The Tortoise and the Hare Race), 'Feitian' (Flying Apsaras), 'Ji Dou' (The Cock Fight) and 'Kuta' (Weeping at the Pagoda), were warmly received.

03 · Regional Records & Related Items

Lufeng shadow puppetry is the only surviving remnant of Chaozhou shadow puppetry, one of the three great shadow-puppet systems of China, and the Lufeng Municipal Shadow Puppet Troupe is the only professional shadow-puppet troupe in Guangdong Province. It has always lived and developed among the people; it carries the genetic character of the ancient Southern Min speech area and has been nourished by the folk customs of the Hailufeng region; its vocal music is rich, its local character strong, its painting and carving exquisite and its performance vivid and lifelike. Lufeng City lies on the shore of Jieshi Bay in the southeastern part of Guangdong Province; local shadow puppetry there was formed in the Song dynasty, flourished in the Ming and Qing dynasties and became widespread in the period of the Republic of China, and after 1975 it went to Beijing to perform many times.

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04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding

Shadow puppetry is an important traditional folk art of our country. In recent years, under the impact of modern film and television art, audiences and the performance market have steadily shrunk, many shadow-puppet forms face the danger of dying out, and urgent rescue and protection are needed. Lufeng shadow puppetry is a traditional folk art with high historical, educational and artistic value. Cai Jinzhen (official file record of the associated inheritor): Male, Han nationality, born in 1962, native of Lufeng, Guangdong Province. Representative inheritor of shadow puppetry (Lufeng shadow puppetry) of the second national-level batch of intangible cultural heritage projects. He has performed in Beijing, the Hong Kong SAR of China, Japan and elsewhere, and was well received; in 2006 he was awarded titles such as 'Outstanding Inheritor of Chinese Folk Culture' and 'Outstanding Inheritor of Guangdong Folk Culture'. Peng Zhong (official file record of the associated inheritor): Male, Han nationality, born in 1928, native of Haifeng, Guangdong Province. In 1987 the Lufeng Shadow Puppet Troupe travelled to Japan to perform, where the shadow figures reached the best possible transparency and caused a sensation among Japanese audiences. The shadow hide he has made since the 1980s has been widely used by shadow-puppet troupes in Beijing, Heilongjiang, Hunan and elsewhere, and has been exported to Japan, Europe and America and other countries. Representative inheritor of shadow puppetry (Lufeng shadow puppetry) of the second national-level batch of intangible cultural heritage projects.

05 · Associated Representative Bearers

Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:

06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography

  1. Shadow Puppetry (Shanwei, Guangdong) · China ICH Official Project Archive
  2. Cai Jinzhen · National Representative Bearer Archive
  3. Peng Zhong · National Representative Bearer Archive

Sources

China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)

Read the official ihchina.cn record ↗

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