Photo taken on February 9, 2025 shows Guo Tongxin teaches his apprentices the basic skills of "manipulating the sticks" in shadow play.

Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily (Reporter Qin Meihua) news: Recently, Guo Tongxin, who is 54 years old, has been quite busy. He has been traveling around to perform shadow play.

Guo is the head of the Tongxin Shadow Play Troupe in Urumqi, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Influenced by his grandfather since childhood, he fell in love with shadow play and has never let go of this traditional craft over the decades. This Spring Festival, he and his apprentices went to various places across Xinjiang and performed more than 20 shadow plays for people of all ethnic groups.

Photo taken on February 9, 2025 shows Guo Tongxin introduces the process of making shadow puppets to the residents.

On February 9, 2025, two hours before the performance, Guo and his apprentices arrived at the Yangmaohu Community on Shengli Road in Tianshan District, Urumqi, to set up the stage. They hung the curtain, arranged the lighting, and placed the props one by one. When the lights behind the curtain came on, Guo and his apprentices took their places, and the wonderful performance began.

Photo taken on February 9, 2025 shows Guo Tongxin (second from left) rehearses with his apprentices before performance.

Through deft manipulation and seamless coordination, he and his apprentices brought each character to life, endowing them with a rich tapestry of expressions. Some characters radiated courage and fearlessness, while others were consumed by terror, all rendered with vividness.

The audience watched the screen intently, completely captivated by the wonderful performance. The children were especially mesmerized, their faces beaming with excitement and curiosity. "I was on the edge of my seat because of the thrilling adventures of the characters in the story, and then I burst into laughter because of the funny parts. Shadow play is so much fun," said a little boy, Atikhan Mamat, excitedly. The elderly people sitting nearby smiled contentedly, as if they had rediscovered the beautiful memories of their childhood through the familiar shadow play.

Photo taken on February 10, 2025 shows shadow puppets move gracefully under the rendering of the lights.

Photo taken on February 7, 2025 shows residents watch a performance by the Tongxin Shadow Play Troupe in Urumqi, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Guo said that in shadow play, the most challenging part is the puppeteers' grasp of details. Every subtle movement, such as a character's turn, a raised hand, or a flick of the sleeve, must be precise, smooth, and natural.

As an ancient traditional art form in China, shadow play is hailed as the forerunner of modern film art. It is a comprehensive art that integrates painting, carving, music, literature, and performance.

In Guo's studio, there are many shadow puppets and props that he made by hand. When there are no performances, he spends his time in the studio drawing, carving, coloring, and ironing... He almost completes all the processes by himself.

Photo taken on February 10, 2025 shows Guo Tongxin applies colors to shadow puppets. During the coloring process, he used a combination of layering, overprinting, and shading techniques, which allowed a single color to create five different shades of light and dark.

Photo taken on February 9, 2025 shows Guo Tongxin carves shadow puppets. The carving of shadow puppets emphasizes the fluidity of lines. Even a single strand of hair or a wisp of beard is meticulously crafted to be distinct and lifelike.

Currently, Guo and his apprentices are not only able to perform more than 20 classic traditional shadow plays such as The Legend of the White Snake and Wu Song Fights the Tiger, but they have also created a patriotic-themed play. The color scheme of this play builds on traditional classic colors, with more bold and modern artistic aesthetics, which has been very popular among the residents.

Photo taken on February 7, 2025 shows local residents experience a shadow play performance.

Photo taken on February 7, 2025 shows Guo Tongxin performs shadow play at an event in Saybag District, Urumqi City, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Guo said, "In recent years, more and more young people have joined the performance and creation of shadow play, bringing new vitality to this ancient traditional art. This is the most gratifying thing for me."

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