非物质文化遗产：中国皮影戏Shadowpuppetry,oneoftheoldestperformingartsintheworld,appearedinChinalongbeforetheinventionofmotionpicturesandtelevision.IthasbeenapopularformofentertainmentinChinaforcenturies.Shadowpuppetryisacombinationofperformingartsandtheartofcarving.Shadowpuppetsarenotonlyessentialelementsofstagecraftbutalsolovelyhandcraftedobjectsofartintheirownright.Thepuppetsaremadeofox,sheep,ordonkeyskin.Preparingahidethatwillbeusedtomakeashadowpuppetrequiresspecialtanningandprocessingtechniques.First,therawpeltissoakedinclearwaterorlimewater.Thenitisstretchedtightlyacrossawoodenframeandlefttodryuntilitisflatandeven.Thehairandremainingflesharescrappedoff,leavingathin,translucentskinthatmakesanidealrawmaterialforcreatingashadowpuppet.Afterthepuppetshavebeencarved,theyaredyedinbrightcolorstoenhancethepuppets'appearaneeandmakethemmoreeyecatching.Theprincipalcolorsusedarered,green,black,andyellow.ChineseshadowpuppetryshowsastrongChineseoperainfluence.Theshadowpuppeteers'propertytrunkscontainmostobjectsfoundineverydaylife.Theseincludeclothes,ornaments,towers,pavilions,furnishings,andscenery.Manyofthesearebasedonitemsexistedinthepast.Shadowplaysareatwodimensionalformbecausethepuppets,seenery,andotherpropsareallflat.Mostofthefacesoftheshadowfiguresaredepictedinprofile.Figureswithfacesrepresentedinprofilearemoreexpressiveandcanbebetteranimatedandmanipulated.Thefacesoftheshadowfiguresrepresentingastheydohuman,supernatural,andanimalbeingsposeanintricateandinterestingproblem.Theirfacialfeaturesareoftenexaggerated.Theyoungmaleandfemaleroles,forexample,usuallyhaveanelegant,nobleslantofforeheadandnose.Ruffiansandtreacherouscharactersalwayshaveexaggeratedlylargeeyesandbushyeyebrows.Chineseshadowpuppetryisaformoftheatreactedbycolourfulsilhouettefiguresmadefromleatherorpaper,accompaniedbymusicandsinging.Manipulatedbypuppeteersusingrods,thefigurescreatetheillusionofmovingimagesonatranslucentclothscreenilluminatedfrombehind.Manyeldershadowpuppetryartistscanperformdozensoftraditionalplays,whichareorallytransmittedorfoundinwrittenform.Theymasterspecialtechniquessuchasimprovisationalsinging,falsetto,simultaneousmanipulationofseveralpuppets,andtheabilitytoplayvariousmusicalinstruments.Manypuppeteersalsocarvethepuppets,whichcanhavebetweentwelveandtwenty-fourmoveablejoints.IShadowplaysareperformedbylargetroupeswithseventonineperformersandsmallertroupesofonlytwotofive,primarilyforentertainmentorreligiousrituals,weddingsandfuneralsandotherspecialoccasions.7-92-5Somepuppeteersareprofessional,whileothersareamateursperformingduringslackfarmingseasons.Therelevantskillsarehandeddowninfamilies,introupes,andfrommastertopupil.Chineseshadowpuppetrywasinscribedin2011(6.COM)ontheRepresentativeListoftheIntangibleCulturalHeritageofHumanity,italsopassesoninformationsuchasculturalhistory,socialbeliefs,oraltraditionsandlocalcustoms.Itspreadsknowledge,promotesculturalvaluesandentertainsthecommunity,especiallytheyouth.2011
