The Significance and Characteristics of China Traditional Shadow Play

The characteristics of shadow play mainly include props and vocal cavity. "Shadow Play" is the general name of shadow play and shadow play characters (including scene props and scenery) products. Chinese shadow play art is a unique artistic variety that combines China folk arts and crafts with China traditional opera skillfully, and it is an indispensable and exquisite pearl in the Chinese national art palace.

Shadow play is a kind of puppet show, also called "shadow play" and "lantern play". It is an ancient art form in China and the earliest art form dubbed as shadow play in the world. The origin of shadow play can be traced back to the Western Han Dynasty, and it has a history of more than 2,000 years. Shadow play is deeply loved by the audience for its exquisite sculptures, popular music lyrics and simple and flexible performance forms. However, due to the complexity of traditional shadow play production technology and the lack of innovation in performance forms and tracks, shadow play gradually declined after the founding of New China. Especially during the Cultural Revolution, shadow play was turned into a "closed-door, self-funded black goods", which was greatly impacted and further aggravated its decline.

Shadow play is carved on cowhide with a carving knife. Followed by dyeing and stringing, the shadow play is played by about 5 or 6 artists with musical instruments for more than 20 minutes, and people can see vivid characters' stories in cooperation with the various actions of the main signer on the lamp cloth. Because there are too many, I can only say so much. Interested friends can learn about a shadow play in Huazhou, because my father has performed for most of his life.

Shadow play is the product of agricultural civilization in China, which has a strong local flavor. This restriction also brings a special artistic effect: the plane shadow play and shadow play make the shadow play leave the plane, and the image becomes blurred or even disappears, so the shadow play is suitable for expressing fairy tales of going into the sky, walking in the clouds and fighting.