According to Tangshan Cultural Tourism:
"The disciples look quickly, in front of the snow, ice peaks, on the distant mountain of the heavenly avenue, the crowd gliding rapidly, suddenly jumping and turning, swarming back and forth chasing what is the situation?"
On the 8th, Li Wenze, a folk artist in Hebei Qianxi, and several old partners sang in their own courtyard. In order to celebrate the convening of the Winter Olympic Games, Li Wenze carefully carved and specially arranged the original shadow puppet play "Tang Monks and Apprentices Greeting the Winter Olympics", which was deeply loved by the villagers.
Li Wenze, 76 years old, is a retired teacher from Donghuangyu Village, Donghuangyu Town, Qianxi County. Li Wenze has been a "movie fan" since he was a child, as long as he heard about the shadow puppet play in the village, he always ran to the front of the screen to listen, reveling in the melodious and antique singing.
Li Wenze and shadow puppet artists performing shadow puppet plays. Photo by Li Shaohua
"There is an air raid shelter near our village, and when I was a child, my friends and I often went there to sing, candle lighting, shadow people with paper paste, learning the tone of the artists on the stage to sing in a similar way." Old man Li Wenze recalled with excitement on his face.
Li Wenze, 26 years old, learned to carve filmmakers from The old artist Xie Hanwen in Zunhua, and with his dedication and love for shadow puppet art, he took the initiative to provoke the girder of local shadow puppetry performances, and organized artists to perform every New Year's Festival and special festival.
"In the era when the media such as film and television were not developed, there was no entertainment activity in the countryside, and when people got married, wished for a birthday, had children, and celebrated the New Year's festival, the host family would call a shadow puppet class to perform for three days, and once, we performed 12 consecutive performances." Speaking of the glorious moments of shadow puppetry in that year, Li Wenze's eyes and expressions showed pride.
Li Wenze's home still treasures more than 500 people, objects and scenes made of donkey skins with a history of more than 50 years, and in his later years, he still maintains the habit of carving filmmakers every day.
Li Wenze, a 76-year-old folk artist in Qianxi, still maintains the habit of carving shadow puppets every day. Photo by Li Shaohua
"Since I was introduced to shadow puppetry at the age of 13, the traditional art of shadow puppetry has accompanied me through 63 spring and autumn seasons. With the change of the times, the inheritance and development of shadow puppetry has encountered a low point, but I have never stopped loving shadow puppetry, and over the years I have encouraged my juniors to know more about shadow puppetry and get closer to shadow puppetry. Li Wenze said.
At present, Li Wenze has a well-preserved shadow studio at home, and every New Year's Festival, he will invite his friends to come to the house to perform and sing, according to his words, "I have never left shadow puppetry all my life, shadow puppetry has become an indispensable part of my life." ”
It is reported that Tangshan shadow puppetry is one of the most influential types of shadow puppetry in China, and is deeply liked by the majority of shadow puppet lovers in Beijing, Tianjin, Northeast China, Inner Mongolia and even abroad.
Source | China News Network Hebei News on February 8
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