Puppet show (Guangdong puppet show)

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Puppet Show (Guangdong puppet show)

Applicant: Guangdong Puppet Art Theatre Co., Ltd

Item No.: 236

Project No.: Ⅳ - 92

Time of publication: 2011 (the third batch)

Category: Traditional Drama

Region: Guangdong Province

Type: Extension Project

Applicant: Guangdong Puppet Art Theatre Co., Ltd

Protected by: Guangdong Puppet Art Theatre Co., Ltd

Brief introduction of puppet show (Guangdong puppet show)

Applicant: Guangdong Puppet Art Theatre Co., Ltd

Guangdong puppet art was introduced from Zhejiang and Fujian in Yuan Dynasty. In the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, puppet shows were active on the streets of Guangzhou, mainly in Town God's Temple, Liwan, Xiguan, Huang Sha area and village god temple. Guangzhou has become a place to carry forward the art of Guangdong puppet show.

Ye Wenfang, a famous sculptor, has absorbed the essence of Chinese painting and statue sculpture. His puppet eyes are double eyelids, which can be opened and closed up and down, rotated left and right, and become the most artistic treasures with Lingnan local characteristics. The performing arts of Guangdong puppet show are closely related to the folk customs, religious beliefs and local operas in Lingnan area, and become a unique part of Lingnan culture, which is well-known in the world. His plays "Furong Fairy", "Monkey King three tune banana fan" and "Zhang Yu boiling the sea" are recognized as "three treasures". The puppets made by Guangdong Puppet Troupe have become gifts given by governments at all levels to foreign guests.

Under the impact of the economic tide, the audience of traditional Guangdong puppet performance art is declining, which leads to the survival crisis of Guangdong Puppet Troupe. There is no successor to traditional puppet art. Most of the descendants of puppet artists do not want to inherit the mantle. There is no one to apply for the examination in big cities, even in rural areas or areas where puppet plays are more active. This art is in danger of dying out.