A shadow puppet show of The Monkey King Thrice Defeats the Skeleton Demon, adapted from the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, was displayed in a crowded square in Houma, North China’s Shanxi province, on the evening on July 4.
With exquisite skills and artistry of folk artists, the shadow play presented a visual feast to local people, a highlight of cultural activities in summer.
As an ancient form of storytelling and entertainment, shadow puppetry uses flat figures (shadow puppets) to create cut-out figures that are held between a source of light and a translucent screen.
Various spectacular effects can be achieved by moving both the puppets and the light source. A talented puppeteer can make the figures walk, dance, fight, nod and laugh on stage.
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Shadow puppets, or piying, stage the shadow play The Monkey King Thrice Defeats the Skeleton Demon, adapted from the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West. [Photo/ Shanxinews.com] |
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Folk artists operate puppets behind the screen. [Photo/ Shanxinews.com] |
