A renowned inheritor of Chinese shadow puppetry in Shaanxi Province has brought a modern twist to the traditional theatrical performance, fascinating audience with consummate skills and creative ideas.
Chinese shadow puppetry, or shadow play, is probably one of the most ancient arts using light and shadow, thousands of years before its much more popular successor, the film. Generally, it is a combination of various art forms involving painting, carving, music, opera performance and storytelling.
Despite its many genres, the shadow art in Huazhou County in Shaanxi Province is among the most acclaimed, being listed as an intangible cultural heritage item under the state protection in 2006.
In the local Shadow Puppet Expo Park, a play featuring Nezha, a household name that regularly appears in Chinese mythology, was being staged to recount the folk deity's well-known story of fighting his way to become a hero. But different from a traditional shadow puppet show, the story was being presented in a way similar to modern films. The large curtain and the multimedia tools created an immersive visual feast of light and shadow for the audience.
"It's wonderful. This is the first time I've seen a shadow puppetry show with [modern] projection elements. It's like watching cartoons," said Yang Xiaoqing, a visitor.
"This is my second time watching this play. I was wowed by it the first time I saw it. The sound, light and the special effect of lightning were very well done," said Shao Changpu, a shadow puppetry performer from Beijing.
According to the inheritor Xue Hongquan, they have made multiple adjustments to the original performance to make it more vivid and impressive.
"The screen for traditional shadow plays is only 1.5 meters [in both length and breadth]. But now our screen is 5 meters long and 2.2 meters wide, similar to the screen in a cinema. We also install lights on the Wind-and-Fire Wheels [Nezha's weapon] and enable it to rotate. These are what differ from the traditional show," said Xue.
The artist is also famous for his craftsmanship in making puppets used in the performances. His award-winning work "Fanwang" features sophisticated puppets made of well-selected leathers from cattle after going through more than 30 steps of processing including soaking, scraping, grinding, carving, dyeing, and embellishment.
"It took me over a month to finish the work. Its craftsmanship is mainly embodied in the craving of hairs, which are rolled up one by one. Even a little bit breakage is not allowed. They should have same degree of thickness, be smooth and vivid. Why are our shadow puppets in Huazhou, Shaanxi so delicate? I think it has a lot to do with the techniques," Xue said.
Traditional Chinese shadow puppetry given a modern twist in Shaanxi
In a rapidly changing economic landscape, many of China's private enterprises are seeking innovative ways not only to thrive but also to preserve the nation's rich cultural heritage.
One such company is CHJ Jewelry, a leading jewelry brand based in Shantou City, south China's Guangdong Province. The company has turned to ancient craft techniques to stay competitive while keeping traditional Chinese artistry alive.
Filigree inlaying is at the heart of CHJ Jewelry's approach.
"Filigree Inlaying is one of China's eight traditional core jewelry-making techniques. Working on this fine 0.2-millimeter gold thread requires 18 steps to complete. If you're not careful, it will snap," said Huang Ming, an artisan at the company's filigree workshop.
This intangible heritage has a history of nearly 3,000 years. Mastering it is by no means easy.
"It may take two to three months just to learn the basics. To master the skill and turn out presentable artwork takes three to five years," said Huang.
Fewer and fewer young people are learning the craft, posing a risk to its preservation.
CHJ Jewelry realized this threat, and founded this filigree inlaying studio to train young artisans.
"The studio employs about 50 people, with young people making up about 60 percent," said Huang.
They have integrated ancient filigree inlaying techniques into modern jewelry designs.
To better preserve this intangible heritage, the company has established a jewelry museum, opening to tourists for free.
The museum showcases a stunning collection of filigree art, including the world's largest filigree artwork.
"We've spent three years on this. During the three years, about 40 to 50 artisans continuously worked on creating this masterpiece," said Cai Zhonghua, vice president of CHJ Jewelry.
In total, 350 kilograms of silver, four kilograms of gold, and more than 30,000 gemstones were used to complete the artwork, according to Cai.
To further incorporate traditional techniques into modern jewelry, the company has also invited designers from around the world to contribute innovative ideas, including Japan's famous designer Oki Sato.
With the rise of "China-chic", a cultural movement that blends modern fashion with traditional Chinese design elements, young people are showing increasing interest in jewelry that reflects their cultural pride. Last year, more than half of the gold buyers on the e-commerce platform Tmall were young people.
"Young people are very open to China-chic, and we constantly innovate products to reflect that. Private enterprises like ours are more flexible, energetic, daring to take on challenges," said Cai.
He expressed the hope that the innovative products will pass on China's intangible heritage and craftsmanship spirit.
Chinese jewelry company blends innovation with tradition to stay competitive
