Shadow puppetry bridges past and future
By giving ancient art form a modern twist, Sichuan performers keep tradition alive
One standout representative in the region is the Wang family, who have been involved in the art for over 350 years since it flourished during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Born in 1965, Wang Biao is a seventh-generation inheritor of Wang family shadow puppetry and a national representative inheritor of Sichuan shadow puppetry. Learning the craft from his grandfather, Wang Wencun, Wang Biao mastered the skills of performance and carving at a young age.
In the 1980s, he traveled across the country with his grandfather, performing at weddings, funerals, housewarming parties, birthday celebrations and other events.
However, by the 1990s, the shadow puppetry market in northern Sichuan began to decline, forcing him to seek work elsewhere, but he never forgot his passion for shadow puppetry.
