Young artists bring ancient stories and legendary figures to life on stage

Using computer design software and ultraviolet printing technology, Zhang Yuhan and her team have blended 2,000-year-old shadow puppetry with modern technology and popular culture, creating an innovative and evolving system for the ancient craft.

After entering Heilongjiang University in 2022, Zhang, 21, a junior student at the College of History, Culture and Tourism, began researching shadow puppet projects through various channels.

"I come from Xiaoyi city in Shanxi province," said Zhang. "Shadow puppet plays are popular across the city and neighboring areas."

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The art was introduced to Xiaoyi in the Warring States period (770-221 BC) and developed during the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and Jin Dynasty (1115-1234), and it enjoyed its heyday during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

When she first watched a performance of the art in primary school, she said she fell in love with it. During each Spring Festival, shadow puppet performances remain an indispensable part of the city's cultural activities.

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With deft hands, artists bring ancient stories and legendary figures to life, offering audiences a vivid glimpse into the region's rich history and cultural heritage through light and shadow.

"However, in our current fast-paced life, the traditional art is facing the risk of being forgotten, especially among young people," she said. "When I began to prepare for a college student innovation competition in October 2022, I came up with an idea to combine traditional shadow puppets with modern technology, creating a new way of presentation to allow more people to experience its charm."

After issuing recruitment information on the campus network, Zhang's project attracted several students from different colleges.

They spent over a year distributing over 20,000 questionnaires to several cities in different provinces. They found that young people are gradually becoming more interested in traditional culture, but they also hope that it can be presented in a more novel way.

"We created a digital media platform, integrating shadow puppet performances, singing and other knowledge into a documentary form," said Zhang. "So far, the platform has attracted around 37,000 visits."

The team also created a short shadow puppet animated film telling a Hezhe ethnic folk story based on the regional characteristics of Heilongjiang.

"We first wrote a script, then used drawing software to draw out the various body parts of the shadow puppets," said Yuan Chenhui, 25, a postgraduate student at the College of Fine Arts.

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"During the process, every part, down to the joints, needs to be very precise."

The three-minute film tells the story of a young hero of the Hezhe ethnic group, which inhabits the province.

Utilizing interactive spaces such as the university's digital art laboratory and mixed reality technology, the team created a shadow puppet immersive interactive platform.

Players can control the shadow puppets freely in the animation using gestures and language, quickly bridging the gap between young people and traditional shadow puppet art.

Huang Xueting, 22, a senior student at the university's College of Journalism and Communication, felt quite happy to promote traditional culture and the team's innovative products to more people.

"During the process, I also gained a great deal of knowledge and deeply felt the charm of our traditional culture," she said.

Over the past year, their project has received several awards, including three golden awards in provincial college student innovation competitions and two bronze awards in national-level competitions.

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In March last year, Zhang was listed as the 10th generation inheritor of Xiaoyi shadow puppet art, and in August she was granted the title of Promotion Ambassador of Traditional Culture in Xiaoyi.

"Such competitions are great platforms for college students to showcase how they transformed the knowledge they have acquired into practical skills, demonstrating their personal qualities and abilities," said Liu Yufeng, one of the project's advisers.

"The project has become a great example at the university, which can help more students get helpful experiences and also help more young people become interested in traditional culture, gaining a deeper understanding of traditional Chinese cultural knowledge."

Sun Zhuonan, another adviser and Zhang's counselor, said the university has always attached great importance to students actively participating in innovation and entrepreneurship competitions.

"The process of students participating in competitions can greatly enhance their research abilities, team collaboration skills and market acumen, guiding them to transition toward a market-oriented mindset," she said.

Contact the writers at zhouhuiying@chinadaily.com.cn