New museum of shadow puppetry

Do you the history behind shadow puppetry? Do you know how to make a colorful shadow puppet? And how to use it? If you are curious about all of this, the newly opened Shadow Puppet School in Tianqiao, Xicheng district, is the place to visit.

There are two rooms in the school, one that teaches people how to make a shadow puppet and the other that educates people about shadow puppetry. Here people can learn almost everything about this type of performance, including the history, the process of making a shadow puppet and the difference between shadow puppets from home and abroad.

"Generally speaking, people think that shadow puppets are made from donkey's skin, but they are wrong," the introduction board on the wall says. "Skins of ox, donkey and mule can be used to make puppets, but they have different functions," it explains, saying donkey skin is more durable, while others have different textures that can be useful.　

Opposite the exhibition center is a room called The Shadow Puppet Studio. It contains a big white screen and people can make their own puppets and then put on their own puppet show if they want.

The owner of this school, Lu Baogang, who is also the head of the Beijing Shadow Show Troupe, said that he intended to make the Beijing shadow puppet play very popular and wanted it to compete with other attractions such as American movies and KTV entertainment. "The exhibition room used to be the office of our shadow puppet troupe," Lu said. "Two years ago, I wanted to turn this office into a tourist souvenir shop. But my friend suggested we make this room a place to introduce the shadow puppet play. Thus I opened a school."

Shadow puppetry originated in the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD), became popular during the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and reached its climax during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), it became associated with White Lotus Sectarianism. As a result of this, shadow puppetry witnessed a low point and many shadow puppet artists were forced to give up their career. Then, in the 20th century, the art form suffered competition from fresh, new entertainment such as TV programs. Nowadays, this traditional art performance is struggling to survive even more than before.

"I've been in the Beijing Shadow Show Troupe for 32 years and we are experiencing hard times," Lu lamented. "We get paid for putting on a show; if there is no show, there is no money. Now we are losing our office to establish a school, which people can visit for free," Lu highlighted. For Lu, the only comfort comes from the fund provided by the Beijing government to support this school.

　　In order to bring the shadow puppet play back to its glory days, Lu and his colleges are working on a website that introduces Beijing's shadow puppet plays. "The Internet provides a great platform to let more people know about this tradition," said Lu.

A tourist surnamed Li from Handan, Hebei Province, showed a great interest towards the art form after visiting the museum. "I've never watched a shadow puppet play before, but now I will try to find a place where I can enjoy a show," Li said. Li bought a shadow puppet in Shanghai years ago just because it was colorful and attractive, but he knew nothing about the design process. "I now know that it can take an experienced maker a week to make a shadow puppet, which makes the high price of this artwork reasonable," he said. "It requires a lot of effort to make shadow puppet plays popular. I think all of us have an obligation to help with the process," Li added.

　　Address: 95 Tianqiaoshichang Jie, Xicheng district

Tel: 6303-3579, 138-1016-6190, call before you intend to visit

Admission: free