Inheritor casting light on shadow play

Zhang owes his bond with the art to his family, which has been involved with shadow plays for several generations.

His father was a famous local shadow puppeteer.

"The vivid characters and wonderful plots of shadow plays planted a seed in my heart when I was a child," he said.

In 1960, Zhang joined a shadow play troupe in Hebei's Tangshan city, officially starting his career at the age of 13.

He quickly mastered the necessary skills by virtue of his assiduity and talent.

"In less than two years, I could perform a number of traditional plays on stage," Zhang said.

As he continued to perform, he developed a profound understanding of the art and became increasingly proficient.

He always strives to give audiences an excellent performance.

"It should never be treated carelessly. Every play should be taken seriously," he said, adding that he sometimes practices a movement or a tune hundreds of times.

After working with shadow play troupes for over 40 years, Zhang set up his own troupe in 2001, calling it the Changli Xiangdong Shadow Play Troupe.

While maintaining traditional styles, he has added fresh elements to his plays.

"We must ensure that everyone enjoys the most authentic shadow play," he said.

Zhang's singing and skill have made the troupe increasingly popular, and they have toured the country and even performed abroad in countries including Italy and Switzerland.

Shadow puppetry is believed to have originated during the rule of Han Dynasty (206 BC-220) emperor Han Wudi (141-87 BC)

"When we take shadow plays abroad and people around the world are able to experience the charm of our culture, we are very proud," he said. "My main task now is to pass on the art and my skills to younger generations."

In 2017, Zhang was invited to teach at colleges in Beijing, and in 2019, he wrote a children's book titled Shadow Play in China.

In recent years, he has begun giving lessons at schools in Qinhuangdao, explaining shadow puppetry to students.

"I am very happy that more and more students are starting to like shadow puppetry and are mastering some of the movements," he said, adding that he hopes his efforts will help plant the seed of shadow play in the hearts of today's children.