Folk art in the Ton

Shadow Play

On a white shadow wall of translucent canvas, the Monkey King was fighting with Princess Iron Fan and her husband, the Ox King. Their dazzling kungfu captivated the audience. Suddenly the classic scene from the novel Journey to the West changed tone and, to the accompaniment of stirring Spanish music, the Monkey King became a bullfighter, holding a red cloth in front of the Ox King.

Originating in the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), shadow plays are an art form that combines traditional Chinese opera with painting, carving and folk customs. The puppets, made of cattle or donkey hide, are manipulated behind an illuminated white backdrop to create the illusion of moving images.

Since the 13th century, Chinese shadow plays have been introduced to dozens of countries and regions in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Europe, and are said to have played an important role in the development of modern film art.