Puppeteer preserves traditional art form

Using two thin rods, Wu Yuan skillfully maneuvers a shadow puppet through a series of movements — creating a sequence of bends, somersaults, and even the splits against a glowing screen in his workshop in Xiangtan, Central China's Hunan province. Unlike the more widely known leather shadow puppets, Wu's creations are crafted from paper.

The Xiangtan paper shadow play is a regional variation of Chinese shadow puppetry that blends traditional opera, painting, paper-cutting, and local folk singing. This craft boasts a history spanning more than 800 years, with Wu's family practicing it over 22 generations.

The puppeteer grew up watching his grandfather, Wu Shengping, carve puppets and perform behind a screen.

Through characters and stories from traditional Chinese operas and novels, he learned not only about the art form but also values such as loyalty, dignity, and kindness.

"My grandfather's performances were not just about telling stories," Wu said. "They also taught me how to conduct myself in life. Those stories planted a seed in my heart."

After graduating from Central South University in the provincial capital Changsha with a law degree, Wu worked in Guangdong province for years as a legal professional. However, the seed his grandfather planted continued to call to him, prompting him to return to his hometown to learn the family craft.

For three years, Wu and his grandfather traveled across the region, documenting over 120 shadow play scripts, more than half of which were on the brink of being lost. In 2014, they published Xiangtan Shadow Play, a collection that preserved this repertoire with words and pictures for future generations.

In 2016, Wu was named a provincial-level inheritor of the craft. However, this recognition came with a great sense of responsibility.

"Some of the traditional dialect and singing styles used in the paper shadow play had drifted far from modern life, and fewer young audiences could enjoy the shows," Wu said. "As an inheritor of the younger generation, I felt I had to do something to bring this art form back."

Wu's efforts have taken many forms. Since 2017, he has collaborated with teachers and students from Hunan University of Science and Technology to develop a DIY paper shadow puppet kit. The traditional paper shadow puppet-making process involves more than a dozen intricate steps, Wu said, including preparing the pulp, forming the shell, carving on both sides, layering, and applying colors.

"It normally takes more than 30 hours to finish one puppet figure," he added.

However, the DIY kit, now on its fourth version, features a modular design and snap-together assembly. It aims to lower the barrier to this traditional art form, allowing anyone to assemble a puppet and put on a show in minutes, even without using scissors.

"The students brought creative, diverse perspectives that can breathe new life into our art form," Wu said.

Making the skill of the craft accessible is just the beginning. For Wu, the characters of the plays must also resonate with today's audience. He began designing characters inspired by what younger people are interested in — anime, films, and video games.

This approach has been well received. A few years ago, when Wu conducted a university workshop to introduce paper shadow play, he brought puppets based on popular video game characters.

"The moment I took them out, the room just exploded," he said. "The students immediately recognized the characters and began imagining their moves and lines."

In 2022, Wu and his grandfather opened their own paper shadow art gallery in Xiangtan, offering handson experiences, family workshops, and public education programs. He has also made English-language short videos based on the craft and teaches it in English to international visitors.

In April last year, Xiangtan paper shadow play was featured at a Hunan tourism promotion event in London, where Wu demonstrated the craft in English and introduced characters like the popular animated figure Nezha.

"Through these new designs and popular characters, we want people, especially young people and children, to have fun and become more interested in the art form," Wu said. "When more people have fun with it, they start to appreciate the wisdom and craftsmanship behind this ancient art. I think that is how the tradition stays alive."

Contact the writers at limuyun@chinadaily.com.cn