Shadow play, a traditional Chinese folk art with a history of more than 2,000 years, has embarked on a path towards revival after a period of marked decline, thanks to conservation efforts and lasting interest in rural areas.

Known as a precursor of modern cinema, shadow play is a kind of drama in which silhouettes made of hard paper and buffalo and donkey hide are projected onto a white screen. The performer manipulates the characters behind the screen while singing the libretto to tell the story. The story-telling is accompanied by music.

Chinese shadow play, which came into being during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) in northwest China's Shanxi Province, spread to South Asia, Central Asia, West Asia and North Africa in the 13th century. The ancient Chinese art spread to Europe in the 17th century. The famous German poet Goethe staged European opera in the form of Chinese shadow play, and modern movies derived, in part, from the ancient art.

Shadow play, with distinctive folklore styles, had long been almost the only entertainment in Chinese villages till two decades ago.

But the ancient art gradually fell from the limelight due to the impact of modern audio-visual media such as television and movies. Many shadow play groups have been disbanded, and many of the most talented artists have died. In many areas, certain types of plays and the art of performance are actually nearing extinction.

Fortunately, shadow play is still alive and warmly welcomed among people in some rural areas in China.

A creaking shoulder pole, three shabby cases of stage properties, and six simple-hearted performers who look like local villagers -- all these constitute a Chinese shadow play troupe named Shanhua.

The troupe, founded in 1933 in Zaozhuang City, Shandong, has not only staged well-orchestrated dramas in villages of the province, but also brought them to more than 20 provinces and municipalities including Heilongjiang, Liaoning and Tianjin. The troupe has had over 6,000 performances and won acclaim from audiences as large as about 500,000 people, according to Chen Shouke, head of the troupe.

Chen says that on average, his troupe performs 100 times at least every year, and each performance takes three to six hours. Sometimes, a performance lasts almost the whole night, as enthusiastic viewers keep asking for encores, according to Chen.

Generally speaking, the troupe stays at a village for seven to eight days. According to Ma Qingfa, a senior performer of the troupe, if the villagers were reluctant to let him and his fellows go, they could linger at the village for as long as one month.

When they performed at Banshang Village of Shuiquan County, Shandong, they had over 3,000 viewers for each show, Ma recalled. 

For years, the Shanhua Shadow Play Troupe has always let local audiences decide on the time and venues for each of its performances. The performers always agreed to the villagers' requests for delaying a show till the end of favorite TV programs, and sometimes they even started a performance at midnight after the people had watched TV shows.

Challenged by indifference among young people, the troupe has kept adding new dramas to their performance lists and tried their best to adapt to local tastes.

China is applying to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizations (UNESCO) for a certification for this ancient art form as an intangible cultural heritage.
 
(Xinhua News Agency March 13, 2004)