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Puppetry Collections

Wang Xiao’er – Shoulder Pole Puppets

Shoulder pole puppetry is performed by one artist alone, combining the forms common in performing rod puppetry and glove puppetry. As the poem goes, “Stage is like a coverlet; one person acts as a troupe. The stories of all flesh are recreated in the fingers and palms.” In the Wuqiao area of Hebei Province, this art form is accented with a strong regional style and is wildly beloved by the people. Wang Xiao’er Fights the Tiger, a story about the drunken Wang Xiao’er going to the mountain and fighting the tiger with great courage, is one of the most popular shows due to its excellent plot twists and turns, vivid storytelling, intense and humorous atmosphere, and marvelous and exquisite performances of the folk artists.

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