Sichuan puppets 'face changing' in Hong Kong

Neijiang (CNS) – A puppet troupe from Zizhong County, Sichuan Province will go to Hong Kong on March 27 to give public performances from April to May. Hong Kong citizens will have the opportunity to observe the puppets' tour de force of face changing- an art famous for its rapid execution.

Sichan Zizhong County Puppet Troupe was established in 1953. It has toured to Japan, Russia, the US and many other countries, bringing audiences their unique performances controlled by professionals behind the curtain. Generally, the troupe completes at least 300 such performances every year.

Troupe leader Hu Hai is confident the upcoming debut in Hong Kong will make a splash, saying "Hong Kong people may have once seen face changing performances in a Sichuan Opera, but the same move by puppets will definitely be a fresh experience for them, and they'll love it."

Face Changing is the core of Sichuan dramatic arts, and a technique meant to reveal the innermost feelings of characters in the play. According to legend, the ancients initially painted different patterns on their faces to scare away fierce beasts, so the art was a matter of survival.