Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai

More than a hundred citizens immersed themselves in the ancient art of shadow puppetry during the first public show performed at the newly opened Lian'an arts center in Xiangzhou District on April 9. 

Chinese shadow puppetry is one of the oldest performing arts in the world, dating back as the Song Dynasty (960-1279), in which seven to nine performers use puppets to create shadow figures against a translucent screen and perform music to tell folk stories. 

Various forms of shadow puppetry have been inherited, and the art was included on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2011 for better protection.

Fan Zheng'an gives a solo shadow puppetry performance at the Lian'an arts center on April 9. [Photo / Zhuhai Daily]

Fan Zheng'an, the only performer in China able to do the roles of many performers by himself, gave a fantastic solo show. Fan uses his hands to simultaneously manipulate shadow puppets, and uses his feet to control 10 instruments, such as gongs and drums, while voicing the lines of the performance.

Fan, originally from Tai'an in Shandong, also gave a lecture about how he spent 60 years dedicated to the art form and a professional introduction about the art. Children who showed a strong interest were taught simple puppetry skills.

The activity was co-organized by the Lian'an arts center, Gongbei Street and the Zhuhai Huafa & CPAA Grand Theatre. More such masters and artist troupes will be invited to give enriching and entertaining shows, according to officials.