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Gaozhou puppet show: tiny stage, huge enthusiasm

Liang Dongxing’s tiny stage for puppet show.

During Nian Li in the first and second lunar months, Cantonese opera and puppet show are the two things that you must watch in Gaozhou county-level city, Maoming. Liang Dongxing, representative successor of Gaozhou puppet show as a national intangible cultural heritage, performs puppet shows in many places of Gaozhou during Nian Li every year.

Gaozhou puppet show, also called dolly show, is a form of Han opera created by Cantonese artists. Puppet solo is showed by one person who serves as performer, puppeteer and musician. Gaozhou puppet show is famous for its accessible performance, heart-stirring story and attractive style.

Three generations in Liang Dongxing’s family lived on puppet shows. This family background has made him extremely interested in puppet show since he was a body. At the age of 16, he proactively took over his father’s career and became an apprentice.

In 1981, on behalf of Gaozhou, Liang Dongxing participated in a Zhanjiang Puppet Show for the first time. His performance was so overwhelming that it won him several awards. In 2010, Liang Dongxing took part in Shanghai EXPO for performing intangible cultural heritage for “Guangdong Week”. He put on 14 puppet shows in 4 days, which received widespread acclaim among visitors.

Click here to find out more about Nian Li, unique traditional festival in west Guangdong.

Gaozhou craftsman makes paper boats for Nian Li celebrations


Liang Dongxing and his puppets. [Photo/gdzjdaily.com.cn]

The most different puppet show is the puppet solo as the show must be completed by one person only. It requires the performer to be a master of puppet manipulation and eloquence. No one can attain this expertise except by devoted practice. “I practiced when having lunch, cooking and even dreaming,” said Liang Dongxing, who stood out as one of the best puppeteers years later in this way. “In the beginning, I performed at daytime while my grandfather performed at night.” He started performing independently at the age of 21.

Gaozhou puppet show is featured by impromptu, so performers could vary in ways of acting, tone and lines even based on the same script. Liang’s list of performance mainly contains historical novels, legends, legal cases and myths with the theme of upholding justice. Sui and Tang Heroes, Generals of the Yang Family, and The Legend of Yue Fei are his masterpieces.

As a puppeteer, Liang witnessed the rise and decline of Gaozhou puppet show in the last five decades. Gaozhou puppet show saw its heyday between the 1970s and 1980s. At that time, there were more than 2,000 puppet troupes which performed more than 10,000 shows each year. Gaozhou puppet troupes were allegedly the group of Cantonese art troupe that enjoy the largest number of operas.

However, number of audiences dropped sharply in the 1990s as more and more people watched TV instead. Artists only put on puppet shows for four or five months in one year during the tough times. Many skilled puppeteers had to find other jobs, but Liang stuck to his profession. He became proficient in skills over time and aroused attention of international art universe.


Liang Dongxing shows how to perform puppet show at a training class. [Photo/Maoming News Network]

In November 1997, three Germany puppet experts came all the way to Gaozhou to watch the puppet shows performed by Liang Dongxing. In May 1999, they invited Liang to hold a one-month puppet show tour in 10 cities of Germany.

By far, there are about a dozen puppet solo performers left in Gaozhou. Liang has 3 young apprentices so he is much busier now. “It is the crafty achievement of generations, and some people, including me, still know how to perform. It is my mission to hand it down,” said he.

Apart from puppet solo, the scale of a troupe has been extended to four or eight performers. Such show needs larger puppets, more props and bigger stage. Musicians who play the erhu, drums and gongs often work with the troupe. The artists are quite professional.

Gaozhou puppet show is well-received at home and abroad. In recent years, Gaozhou puppet troupes were invited to perform all over the world. In 2006, the 400-hundred-year-old Gaozhou puppet show was inscribed in the first batch of National Intangible Cultural Heritage List.


People watch Gaozhou puppet solo show. [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]


Gaozhou puppet show. [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]


Gaozhou puppet show. [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]


Gaozhou puppet show is performed in Guangzhou. [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]


People watch Gaozhou puppet show. [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]


People watch Gaozhou puppet show. [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]


Lifelike puppets of Gaozhou puppet show. [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]


CCTV films Gaozhou puppet show. [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]


People watch Gaozhou puppet show. [Photo/Maoming News Network]


A Gaozhou puppet show is ongoing. [Photo/Maoming News Network]


Liang Dongxing and his puppet. [Photo/gdzjdaily.com.cn]


An old man and a kid watch the puppets. [Photo/Maoming News Network]


Artists show how to manipulate puppets. [Photo/Maoming News Network]


A Gaozhou puppet show is ongoing. [Photo/Maoming News Network]


A Gaozhou puppet show presented by a dozen of performers is ongoing. [Photo/Maoming News Network]


Two puppets.


Two puppets.


Puppets are ready for the stage.

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