Travel Guide to Xi'an, Shaanxi

Shaanxi Shadow Puppetry: The beauty of a national essence passed down for a thousand years💗 📍Detailed Address: Yongxingfang • Intangible Cultural Heritage Theater in Xi'an 🔆Shadow Puppetry The birthplace of shadow puppetry is Xi'an, Shaanxi. According to the 'Book of Han', more than 2000 years ago, after the beloved consort of Emperor Wu of Han, Lady Li, passed away due to illness, he deeply missed her😔 and neglected the affairs of state. One day, Minister Li Shaoweng went out and encountered a child playing with a cloth doll🪆, whose shadow was cast on the ground, lifelike. Thus, Li Shaoweng had an idea, he cut out an image of Lady Li👸 from cotton cloth, painted it🎨, and attached wooden rods to the hands and feet. At night, he invited the Emperor to sit and watch inside the tent, and after seeing it, the Emperor was greatly pleased. This story is considered to be the earliest origin of shadow puppetry. According to historical records, shadow puppetry🔛 began in the Western Han Dynasty, flourished in the Tang Dynasty, and was at its peak in the Qing Dynasty. During the Yuan Dynasty, it spread to Western Asia and Europe, boasting a long and storied history🌊 🔆Only after learning about it did I realize that shadow puppetry🎭 is a traditional art with thousands of years of history. The performers of shadow puppetry need to manipulate multiple puppets at the same time, coordinating with lighting💡 and music🎶 to bring a variety of stories to life on the screen. This is much more complex than the shadow games we played as children, and also more vivid and interesting🥳 🔆Shadow puppetry performances usually do not have a fixed venue or time, and are mostly performed by invitation during traditional festivals or at market fairs, temple fairs, and during the joyous occasions of rural families. The repertoire of the old-style shadow puppetry🎭 mostly consists of ancient military themes and mythological legends, with more than two hundred pieces, including a large proportion from the Western Zhou, Spring and Autumn, Warring States, Three Kingdoms, and Tang and Song periods. Popular plays include 'Lintong Treasure Fight', 'Shenting Ridge', and others. There are also plays reflecting local traditional folk life and pure martial arts💪🏻 🔆In Xi'an, the performance styles of shadow puppetry🎭 are diverse, including Mi Hu, Bowl Tune, String Board Tune, Agong Tune, and Qin Tune, among others. Behind the white screen, the artists manipulate the characters of the opera while singing the story in the local popular tunes, accompanied by percussion and string instruments. The performance, rich with the breath of rural gentry🎤, makes one feel as if they are in the midst of an ancient village🛖 The shadow puppets passed down through the centuries are not just art, but also history👍