Creative puppet performers enhance city's fame on international stage

Quanzhou welcomed renowned puppet performing teams from across the world to promote exchanges of the art and increase its influence among the public during the fourth Maritime Silk Road International Arts Festival, which is being held in the city from Nov 22 to 27.

As an important part of the festival, over 70 high-level puppet shows are being held in Quanzhou from Nov 23 to 26, while 28 teams with about 400 members from 11 countries and regions across Asia, Europe and Oceania amaze audiences with their stage performances.

"It's the largest show we've ever hosted," said Hong Shijian, director of the Quanzhou marionette performance inheritance and protection center, adding the performances - ranging from marionette, hand-puppet, rod-puppet, shadow puppet to hand shadow - are held in theaters, schools, communities, villages and squares across the city.

Officials from the Union Internationale de la Marionnette of the UNESCO and experts from countries such as Spain, the United States, United Kingdom and India shared their insights about the art at a major forum.

As a highlight of the festival, an opera performed by human performers and puppets was staged at the opening ceremony at the newly built Quanzhou Grand Theater.

It told a story that happened in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) when a man called Lin Xu hid in a puppet performing team to escape unjust arrest. The troupe and the puppets traveled from Quanzhou to Egypt while there were romance and tragicomedies. Landscapes and architecture of China, India, Egypt and other countries along the Maritime Silk Road in the 10th century were shown on the stage too.

The opera aimed to display how people from different civilizations during ancient times had communications and exchanges, according to the producers.

A puppet, with a height of 4 meters, performed with humans. Special effects given by sound, light and a projection of puppets' shadow were adopted to increase the watching experience.

Quanzhou has a long history of puppetry. In December 2012, its project to train inheritors of a local puppet show was enrolled in the "good practice" list of the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO.

The city held the World Puppetry Festival in 1986, 1992, 2000, 2015 and 2017.

Wang Jingxian, art director of Quanzhou puppet troupe, said Quanzhou is an international city dating back to the Song Dynasty and Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) when it had frequent exchanges with some Asian and African countries.

"Hosting international arts events can help improve cultural awareness and artistic taste of residents, especially young people," he said, adding the festival brought Quanzhou and cities from different countries closer and enlarged its influence across the globe.

(China Daily 11/26/2019 page19)