For other uses, see Shadow puppets (disambiguation). Shadow shows are held in some regions of China, opens a new window during Lunar New Year.Īs part of 2020 Lunar New Year Celebration, a special bedtime stories session at Fendalton Library is scheduled at 6.30 - 7.30 pm on 31 January."Shadow puppets" redirects here. Nowadays, shadow puppetry is recognised as one of the Chinese cultural heritages. Since the late 1970s, shadow puppetry regained its popularity with the resurgence of traditional customs bound to religious rites in rural areas. Government-sponsored troupes tried to make plays with ideological concerns and cartoon-style animal fables to entertain young audience. In Modern China, the disdain for the folk religious practices eventually led to the association of shadow puppetry with superstition.Īfter 1949, shadow puppetry was secularised under the communist regime. In the Qing Dynasty (1636 - 1912), shadow puppetry was increasingly incorporated into religious rites and folk religious practices.
It is believed that this was how shadow puppetry spread to the West. Mongol armies took shadow puppets with them during their invasions. In the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), shadow plays were a main entertainment resource in the barracks of Mongol troops. The content of shadow plays was always based on historical tales. During the lantern festival, booths of shadow plays were set up on street corners of residential areas to attract children. Shadow shows were performed in private homes, public areas, temples during festivals and the court during special celebrations. The magician skillfully adjusted the positions of the light and the puppet and made Lady Li's shadow figure move to bring the beloved concubine back to life.ĭuring the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279 CE), various types and troupes of shadow shows proliferated and reached its peak. One night, the magician placed curtains around the figure and lit torches while inviting the Emperor to sit behind other side of the curtains.
#Religious chinese shadow puppetry skin#
A Daoist magician announcing that he had power to summon spirits recreated a figure of Lady Li with pieces of donkey skin and dressed it with beautifully painted clothes. It is said that the Emperor was devastated when Lady Li, one of his favorite concubines, died. The most influential one is based on a romantic tale of Emperor Wu and Lady Li in the Han Dynasty (206 BCE - 220 CE). During the 18th and 19th centuries, shadow plays called om bres chinoises (Chinese shadows) gained popularity in France.Īs a performing art, Chinese shadow puppetry has a long history with different accounts for its origin. They are also performed in Turkey and Greece. According to information on Britannica Library, opens a new window, shadow plays probably originate in China and on the Indonesian islands of Java and Bali. Shadow plays are present in different cultures. Behind one side of the screen, a bright light is placed in a certain position and flat images made from sheep parchment and buffalo or donkey skins are manipulated by puppeteers so that the shadows of the images and their "movements" are projected on the screen.
There is a translucent screen in the middle. Shadow play is an ancient theatrical form of storytelling consisting of three parts.
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