Tai’an shadow puppetry was brought to Beijing audiences on March 11. Stories such as Baby Tadpoles Look for Their Mother and Wu Song Beats Tiger were performed at the Taishan Shadow Puppets Museum on Beijing’s Qianmen Street.

At the event, audiences had the opportunity to make their own shadow puppets and attend lectures on the historical development of Taishan’s shadow puppets.

There were also a wide range of exhibitions in the main hall demonstrating the handiwork of shadow puppets, which attracted a great number of visitors.

Shadow puppetry is performed to honor traditional Chinese culture. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Taishan’s shadow puppetry has been listed as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage. Its performance requires formidable artistic talent, and performers must be adept at singing, relating stories and controlling the puppets. Something unique about this art form is that the entire performance is done by a single person.

Children experience traditional Chinese culture by making their own shadow puppets. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

At the event, children are taught the history and culture behind the shadow puppets. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Taishan Shadow Puppets Museum, located on Beijing’s Qianmen Street. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]