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Culture丨The personalities of puppets

CHINADAILY · 公众号 · 时评 · 2025-03-14 11:51

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On a bright afternoon in Beijing, stepping into a traditional courtyard just east of the Forbidden City feels like entering another world. Beyond the weathered rock garden, a mesmerizing interplay of light and movement unfolds, blending centuries-old artistry with modern innovation.

In the courtyard's water feature, six mechanical red koi, inspired by intricate paper-cut designs, glide in fluid, circular motions from the depths to the surface. Titled Leaping , this dynamic art installation by Cui Xiaoqing captures the delicate grace of both traditional craftsmanship and kinetic art.

▲ Paintings, sculptures, and installations are on display at an exhibition in Beijing's Nanchizi Museum, including Leaping , an installation by Cui Xiaoqing. Photo provided to China Daily

Inside the main exhibition hall, a striking shadow puppet figure of the legendary female warrior, Mu Guiying, of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), towers several meters high. As sunlight filters through ornate lattice windows, its shifting reflections merge with the rippling water outside. Poised with spear in hand, the puppet almost appears alive. This piece, Peach Blossom Horse, now on show at Nanchizi Museum in Beijing, is the work of 56-year-old Wang Haiyan, a fourth-generation inheritor of Wang's Shadow Puppetry, a Huaxian shadow puppetry family versed in the national intangible cultural heritage from Huaxian county, Weinan, Shaanxi province. These inheritors, based in Xi'an, Shaanxi, are known for making shadow puppets, and especially for their carving skills.

▲ Peach Blossom Horse , also depicting Mu Guiying, a piece of puppet work by Wang Haiyan. Photo provided to China Daily

Curated by Zhang Yuyang, Dian Xi Yi Ben — Shadow Puppetry and Contemporary Art Exhibition brings together contemporary artists and three generations of Wang's Shadow Puppetry in a display of paintings, sculptures and installations that reinterpret traditional shadow puppetry and paper-cutting.

"The goal is to translate traditional shadow puppetry and paper-cutting into a contemporary visual language," Zhang says. "By integrating modern aesthetics, the exhibition breathes new life into traditional art forms."

▲ At the Window by Dang Feihua, a young shadow puppetry inheritor, that shows Mu Guiying, a legendary female warrior of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), adjusting her hair. Photo provided to China Daily

This exhibition, co-hosted by the Nanchizi Museum and Wang's Shadow Puppetry, runs until April 13. According to 25-year-old Dang Feihua, a fifth-generation inheritor of Wang's Shadow Puppetry, the phrase Dian Xi Yi Ben ("to order a special performance out of a catalog of choices") originates in a traditional Shaanxi shadow puppetry saying. "In the past, only those with an extensive collection and a skilled troupe could display a Dian Xi Yi Ben sign during performances at festivals, weddings or funerals. It was a mark of family strength," Dang explains.

The exhibition opens with a Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) shadow puppet piece called Dian Xi Yi Ben , and a huqin , a traditional stringed instrument used in puppetry performances from the same era. Beneath them, two open puppet cases symbolize kai xiang , or "opening the case", a theatrical tradition by shadow puppetry troupes marking their first performance after each Spring Festival.

Three generations of Wang's Shadow Puppetry inheritors are showcasing their distinctive work.

▲ Part of Havoc in Heaven , by Wang Tianwen, a veteran shadow puppetry inheritor. Photo provided to China Daily

Culture丨The personalities of puppets

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