光影里的匠心传承

News Summary:
Zhou Banghui, a master of the Hehuang shadow‑puppet tradition, leads the New Art Shadow‑Puppet Troupe on a tour of Xining, Qinghai. Their performance on January 25 was the fifth show the troupe has staged in the city. Zhou began learning the art in 1996 and founded a 13‑person troupe in 2011. For many years they performed in village courtyards, public squares and temple fairs, using shadow puppets and singing to tell familiar stories.

As their venues have expanded from rural villages to scenic spots and commercial complexes, shadow puppetry remains rooted in the countryside while also spreading its branches in the city. In the weeks before the Spring Festival the troupe works even harder; they give more than a hundred performances a year. members spend time at home repairing puppets and building stages, passing the craft down through ordinary, diligent labor.

Thoughts and Inspiration:
Keeping an art alive requires people to persist in daily work and to bring the skill before as many eyes as possible. The light and shadow of the puppets link villages and cities, sustained by generation after generation willing to teach, learn, and perform.

This reminds me of the biblical teaching about handing down good things to the next generation: our responsibility in life is often simply to do what we can well and then teach the way to the next generation. May more crafts be valued, and may hard work and integrity continue in our lives.

Scripture: “We will not hide the stories of the past from our children, but we will tell them the mighty deeds of the Lord, his power, and his wonders.” Psalm 78:4

Link to the verse: https://www.huizu-tianjing.icu/zaibuer/shipian/78