Zizhong Puppetry from Neijiang Stages Performance in Germany, Wowing Berlin with Intangible Cultural Heritage Artistry

Recommended by the China Puppetry and Shadow Arts Society, the Zizhong County Puppetry Troupe of Sichuan Province, as China’s sole delegation, participated in the 10th"Children’s Theatre Week" and the 29th"Puppet Theatre Festival" of the Berlin Youth Palace in Berlin, Germany, from November 21 to 23. With its exquisite craftsmanship, the troupe promoted the international dissemination of China’s intangible cultural heritage.

On November 21, Robert Rice Elementary School was filled with continuous laughter and cheers. The troupe's debut performance, featuring programs such as"Puppetry Calligraphy" and"Face-Changing", won enthusiastic applause from teachers and students. After the show, performers disassembled the puppet structure, demonstrated manipulation techniques, and let the children experience puppet control firsthand, creating an interactive scene full of childlike fun.

At the main venue of the Berlin Youth Palace, the puppet shows such as Sichuan Opera"Eight Trigrams Formation" and Peking Opera"Drunken Beauty" exuded strong traditional charm. Dance programs like"Spring Outing" were vivid and lively, while special skills including Face-Changing and Bead Twirling wowed the entire audience. These performances fully demonstrated the artistic essence of Zizhong Medium-Sized Rod Puppetry, a national-level intangible cultural heritage.

"It makes me extremely proud as a Sichuan native to see my hometown's puppetry, especially the Face-Changing performance, overseas," said Yang Yi, a Sichuan-born audience member. Her words echoed the feelings of overseas Chinese. Her husband David Baumgart, a German spectator, also praised the show repeatedly with"Wonderful! Fantastic!"

Uschner, Director of the Central German Puppet Museum, made a special trip to watch the performance and highly praised the program arrangement and performance form. Marqinhos, Venue Director of the Berlin Youth Palace, straightly stated that such puppetry integrating dance and performing arts is truly rare in Berlin and deeply impressive. He Wenbo, Deputy Director of the Berlin China Cultural Center, noted that the troupe's multiple performances in primary schools and the Berlin Youth Palace have won widespread praise from all walks of life in Germany with their high-standard artistic presentation.

During their stay in Germany, the cast and crew of the Zizhong Puppetry Troupe also visited and exchanged ideas at the Central German Puppet Museum.

Founded in 1953, the Zizhong County Puppetry Troupe is a national second-class Grade A troupe, dedicated to the inheritance and promotion of Zizhong Medium-Sized Rod Puppetry, a national-level intangible cultural heritage. With a history of over a century, this art form was included in the national intangible cultural heritage list in 2014. The puppets, about 90 centimeters tall, are endowed with vivid vitality through three core techniques:"lifting, twisting, and footwork." The troupe currently has 10 inheritors at various levels, carries out regular public welfare cultural activities serving over 5 million audiences annually, and has visited more than 20 countries including Japan, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, New Zealand, the United States, and Ukraine. It has won numerous domestic and international awards and received high praise from central and local media.

This trip to Berlin not only showcases the artistic charm of Zizhong Puppetry but also promotes the integration of intangible cultural heritage into the international exchange framework, injecting new vitality into the construction of a culturally strong city.

By Wan Dandan, Neijiang Media GroupTel

翻譯：四川大學 Aeel

Translation: Sichuan University Aeel

審核：西安翻譯學院劉洪明

Reviewed by: Liu Hongming from Xi'an Translation Institute