Out of the Shadows

Shadow puppetry， pi ying xi in Chinese， is a folk art known for unique storytelling techniques via puppets constructed of animal hide or cardboard and an illuminated backdrop that creates the illusion of moving images. For thousands of years， shadow puppetry joined myriad other Chinese folk arts in actively preserving the history and culture of China. Before the invention of electric lights， numerous Chinese people were mesmerized by shadow puppetry， which ultimately received international recognition upon its addition to the List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

Treasured Skill

To explore the history of shadow puppetry， Yongdeng County in Gansu Province is a good place to start. Residing in the county was the Wang family， a clan that has specialized in performing shadow puppetry since the Guangxu Period of the Qing Dynasty （1875-1908）. Yongdeng County and its surrounding areas became a hotbed of shadow puppetry more than 200 years ago. At the art’s peak in 1949， more than 20 troupes were performing shadow puppetry in the county， but today only a single small troupe of farmers continues to perform.

Wang Desheng， a descendent of the Wang family， leads the troupe. Wang Desheng’s father， Wang Wanzhong was born in 1904 and picked up puppetry from his father， Wang Shandao， who took the young boy along when farming as well as performing puppetry for villagers in his spare time. During his experience learning shadow puppetry， Wang Wanzhong also picked up reading without ever attending school.

When his father passed away in 1917， 13-year-old Wang Wanzhong could already lead the troupe in performing a show. As he matured， Wang transformed into a tall man whose loud and clear voice and sophisticated skill won him great popularity with villagers. In 1957， Wang Wanzhong won first prize in a competition to honor excellent puppetry programs of Gansu Province.

After the breakout of the “culture revolution，” Wang Desheng decided to destroy some dispensable pieces of his family’s puppetry collection in public to prove his resolution to eliminate so-called dregs of feudal culture. However， Wang managed to hide the most valuable puppets by wrapping them in paper bags and stashing them in a basement.

Thanks to Wang Desheng’s resourceful and brave move， a total of two chests of puppets the Wang family had held since the Guangxu Period of the Qing Dynasty were preserved. According to family records， the puppetry collection was split evenly between Wang Desheng’s grandfather， Wang Shandao， and his three brothers， leaving the former with a half set of puppets. A single set usually includes hundreds of leather puppets in shapes diverse enough to illustrate a plethora of folk legends， histories or operas. Wang Shandao then supplemented the collection passed down from his father by acquiring and constructing additional pieces to create a more comprehensive set. Due to its breathtaking decoration， the Wang family’s Qing Dynasty （1644-1911） set is very visually attractive.

Carrying On

When the reform and opening-up policy was introduced in China， greater numbers of villagers began to resume interest in shadow puppetry and other folk arts. Wang Desheng then resolved to carry on his family’s legacy in shadow puppetry. Armed with some essential puppets and scripts from his father that had been well preserved， Wang Desheng managed to recruit several veterans who had worked with his father. Meanwhile， Wang also committed to improving his performance skill by recalling tips his father offered him as a child and seeking advice from veterans. By the dawn of the 1980s， Wang Desheng has resumed performing shadow puppetry， which quickly became popular with villagers who lacked access to television.

As the tide of information technology varies lifestyles and cultural needs in the new century， shadow puppetry has been relegated to a worship ritual during traditional festivals or after big harvests. Although its popularity has waned in recent years， Wang Desheng remains firm about his decision to pass on his skills to his grandson in hopes that the art will be inherited by future generations.