Hunan Puppet and Shadow Protecting and Inheriting Center (formerly Hunan Puppet and Shadow Art Theater), initially founded in 1956, was formed by the merge of “The Shadow Puppet Troupe of Dongting Xiang Opera Corps in Political Department of Hunan Provincial Military Area” and “Shaoyang Puppet Troupe”. Comprising one puppet troupe and one Shadow puppet troupe, it is the only professional performing art troupe in Hunan province that centered on serving children. In 2008, the Center’s “Hunan Rod Puppetry” and “Hunan Shadow Puppetry” were inscribed on the first batch of the List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage; in 2011, Chinese Shadow Puppetry, with Hunan Shadow Puppetry as part of it, was inscribed by the UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Since the Center’s establishment, its artists conducted a large amount of reform and innovation, based on the inheritance of outstanding traditional arts, and evenly balanced the exaggerated and realistic portrayal of puppetry, matched the design of shadow puppet with stories. The Center has made its pantomime and allegorical play distinguished ones which include “Malan Flower”, “Hai Libu the Hunter”, “The Tale of the Golden Scale”, “Bird of Fire”, “Shi San Ya Zi (Chairman Mao)”, “Dancing with Wolves”, “Three Mice”, “The Tortoise and the Crane”, “The Spirit of Peacock” and “Nezha Conquers the Dragon King”. All of which are very popular with audiences, especially with children.
As for the international exchange, the Center has often been appointed by the Ministry of Culture to welcome foreign high officials and celebrities, dispatched as representative of the state to visit over 20 countries and regions in Asia, Europe and America, and highly commented. Its shadow play was praised by the Le Figaro in France as “the Shadow Play that more precious than gold”; and its puppetry play in Australia International Puppetry Festival was commented as “the unique performing art and technique beyond all comparison”. The center is always being enterprising and innovating, actively participated in various international puppetry competitions and won numerous highest awards on both national and international levels.
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