U.N. cites threatened Chinese Shadow Puppetry

The Inter-governmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Heritage met in gloomy, fog-bound Bali (where the Gales of November may reach up to 15kph).

Shadow puppets at work in Xian

Between beachside tug-of-war matches and ogling the comely locals, the body declared several obscure cultural arts traditions, among them Chinese Shadow Puppetry, worthy of endangered status. This means you may not, under any circumstances, hunt for Chinese Shadow Puppets without a UN permit, and never on odd numbered days of even-numbered months.

As many “traditional” art forms yield to changing times, let’s hope we can keep this one appreciated even if we don’t understand a word. For more:

http://www.itourbeijing.com/china-culture/shadow-puppetry.htm

For a closer look (thanks to an iPhone) here’s a small scale show http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3RYrhtMKQ0 and another which shows what it’s like “behind the screen” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boSFBbgPyIA