A student rehearses traditional Chinese puppet show at an art school in Shanghai December 29, 2006. The first thirty-eight puppet show students in China in more than ten years will graduate from the school in 2007, which was jointly founded by the Shanghai Puppet theater and Shanghai Theater Academy.

Students color the masks of puppets at an art school in Shanghai December 29, 2006. The first thirty-eight puppet show students in China in more than ten years will graduate from the school in 2007, which was jointly founded by the Shanghai Puppet theater and Shanghai Theater Academy.

A teacher shows to students how to make puppets at an art school in Shanghai December 29, 2006. The first thirty-eight puppet show students in China in more than ten years will graduate from the school in 2007, which was jointly founded by the Shanghai Puppet theater and Shanghai Theater Academy.

A student rehearses traditional Chinese puppet show at an art school in Shanghai December 29, 2006. The first thirty-eight puppet show students in China in more than ten years will graduate from the school in 2007, which was jointly founded by the Shanghai Puppet theater and Shanghai Theater Academy.

(Xinhua News Agency December 31, 2006)