How can a few strings give a puppet expressions, movement, and even a personality of its own?
Pingyang puppetry is a traditional theater form from Pingyang county in Wenzhou, East China's Zhejiang province. Its history dates back to the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), and the art flourished during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.
Centered on string puppetry, it incorporates glove and rod puppets, as well as performances in which masked actors portray puppet characters alongside the puppets.
Over the centuries, Pingyang puppetry has developed a repertoire of more than 300 traditional plays. Its productions have won awards and toured internationally. In 2008, the art was added to China’s national intangible cultural heritage list.
In this video, Samar Kerkeni, a foreign editor at China Daily Website, spends two days exploring Pingyang's puppetry tradition. She visits a puppet-making workshop, observes local performers rehearse, and learns the basics of string puppetry under their guidance.
Samar has a clear goal: to take her puppet partner on stage and perform for her friends. Can she pull it off? Watch the video to find out!
