Chinese girl aims to widen audience for traditional puppet show

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CGTN

Located in the south of Zhejiang Province's Wenzhou city, Pingyang County is the hometown of the amazing provincial intangible cultural heritage: the Pingyang puppet show.

The show has a long history and remains profitable. Aside from traditional theatrical pieces, modern shows with foreign features can also be seen on the stage. The Pingyang Puppetry Troupe (currently Pingyang Puppetry Protection and Inheritance Center) is the oldest puppetry troupe in China specializing in children’s plays.

CGTN Photo

The puppets are delicate and vivid. Most of their joints and facial parts can move freely, allowing them to do almost anything: serve tea, sing and dance… a piece of cake.

Yet, behind all of that are the skillful hands of the puppeteers.

CGTN Photo

"Manipulating a puppet is like playing the piano," says Lin Si, 24. "Attached to your 10 fingers are more than 30 threads. Every single movement of the joints, the eyes and the mouth, is for you to control."

Lin is a new-generation puppeteer of the Pingyang puppet show. Her father, a member of the troupe, used to take her to see the troupe's performance when she was younger. "I found puppetry very interesting, yet never expected to be sent to study in Shanghai Theatre Academy."

Li Si; /Photo by CGTN

Eight students were chosen from the Wenzhou area, seven of whom stayed in Shanghai after graduation. Only Lin went back to her hometown and joined the Pingyang Puppetry Troupe.

"The most difficult part of training was holding the puppets. You have to hold them still for more than half an hour," says Lin. "I couldn't lift my arms for days after that."

Being shorter than other performers, she has to wear high heels in order to keep the puppets at the same level, which makes it more laborious for her.

CGTN Photo

Lin is pretty versatile. She can perform and make the puppets. The troupe's puppets can't be mass produced, as each is unique. For example, their joints are designed separately to move in different ways. And a special switch is required to put on and lift the hat.

Like many other traditional arts, the Pingyang puppet show has a limited audience. The long training process results in gaps between generations of performers. All the other artists of the troupe are in their 40s or 50s. As the only young performer, Lin has to take part in important annual shows to improve herself. "I want to do my best on the stage, so as not to put my efforts in vain."

CGTN Photo

Lin is actually a fashionable girl offstage. Flexible fingers has made her formidable in some popular mobile games. "If I could make the puppets out of game characters, perhaps our puppetry would attract more attention from the younger generation," she said.

She hopes someday that will finally come true.

The story is one in The 1.3 Billion series exploring the diverse lives that make up China.