You might expect that puppetry has been superseded by the electronic screen, which is more spectacular and efficient in the delivery of stories. But the human involvement of puppets can have enduring appeal. As we tire of the screen, we may see more puppet revivals such as the Beijing Shadow Show Troupe.

In China, shadow theatre was celebrated up until the 1960s when it was targeted as part of the Cultural Revolution. It has been revived since the 1980s and in 2011 was included on Unesco’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

The word for “cinema” in Chinese means “electric shadow”.

See more images here and here.

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ancient | China | puppetry