Where is the hometown of Chinese shadow play?

Qingyang Huanxian Shadow Play is the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage. On June 9, 2002, the Chinese Folklore Society officially named Huan County as the "Hometown of Shadow Play".

Qingyang shadow play has a long history. Xie Changchun, an artist of shadow play in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, made bold improvements in the production and singing of shadow play, giving new life to the ancient art of shadow play. Later generations of Xie Changchun inherited and developed the art of understanding shadow play, making this ancient art go abroad and go to the world.

origin

According to legend, during the Western Han Dynasty more than 2,000 years ago, Huns living in the north of China often invaded the south, with Pengyang (now Qingyang and Zhenyuan) bearing the brunt. On one occasion, the Huns killed the county magistrate of Pengyang. At that time, Emperor Liu Che was furious and sent troops to Pengyang. When the war was won, a bad news reached Pengyang Palace, and a beloved princess in Liu Che died. Liu Che was very sad to hear about it.

At this time, an alchemist suggested that the imperial concubine could reappear, so he made a statue of Liu Che's beloved princess out of leather, hid himself behind the statue and drove it back and forth in the tent.

The alchemist asked Liu Che to watch outside the tent, which was very realistic. Later, when Liu Che left Pengyang, this "trick" of idol light and shadow spread in Pengyang area. Later, for the convenience of performance, the figure idols gradually narrowed down and developed into today's shadow play.