[Explanation] As an ancient Chinese traditional art, shadow puppetry has a history of more than 2,000 years.

In Shandong, Jinan shadow puppetry was passed down to the fifth generation, and the first "female head" appeared. She was the "post-85" girl Li Juan.

  [Explanation] A curtain, a beam of lights, several shadow figures flying up and down, she flexibly controlled the shadow figures in her hand... On November 26, the reporter came to Baihuazhou, Jinan and saw that Li Juan was hiding behind the curtain. Perform "Journey to the West vs. Scorpion" to the audience in Jinan dialect and singing voice.

She admitted that although she was born in a family of shadow puppets, she didn't want to engage in the shadow puppet industry at first.

  [Concurrent] Li Juan, the fifth generation inheritor of Jinan shadow puppetry

  I grew up with my grandfather. The environment in our home is to perform shadow puppets. My grandfather also asks me to practice this shadow puppetry, including painting, sculpting, and some basic skills for performing on stage. , So I learned how to play shadow puppets.

In fact, in the whole trajectory and planning of my life, I did not inherit the shadow puppet.

Because my grandfather’s dream is to see a new development in Jinan shadow puppetry during his lifetime.

I must first consider my grandfather's kindness to nurture me. I want to help my grandfather inherit and develop shadow puppets.

That's why I started from giving my grandfather a hand, and started to walk the path of shadow puppetry.

  [Explanation] Li Juan’s grandfather, Li Xingshi, was born in 1939. He is a national non-genetic inheritor of shadow puppetry. He has been engaged in shadow puppetry for more than 70 years. He has created a performance style of one person and one play. I can talk and sing in my mouth.

Li Xingshi told reporters that Jinan shadow puppetry has a history of more than 100 years, and it keeps pace with the times in terms of filmmaker production and lighting.

  [Concurrent] Li Xingshi, the national non-genetic inheritor of shadow puppetry

  My grandfather Li Keao brought the shadow puppets to Jinan. At that time, my grandfather's shadow puppets and chopsticks were so long and 20 cm tall.

Later it was developed by 50-60 cm, and now it is even higher, right, 1 meter.

The shadow puppets of the past, the light of the shadow puppets, the light was an oil lamp. An oil bowl was filled with cotton and the cotton was dipped in oil. That was when my grandfather played it.

When my father (Li Fuzeng) is acting, he doesn't need the oil lamp. What is it used for?

Horse lanterns, and some steam lamps.

When I was performing, I used light bulbs to perform, and later when I was developing, I used lamp sticks, fluorescent lamps, etc.

  [Explanation] "One minute on stage, ten years off stage", under the guidance of grandpa, now Li Juan can master the skills of shadow puppet production, repertoire, performance, etc., and has developed a shadow puppet skill.

In the arrangement, she injected new elements and popular topics to create many popular plays such as "Journey to the West vs. Scorpion" and "Mr. Nan Guo".

At the same time, she actively carried out innovative models for the inheritance and development of shadow puppets, and launched "shadow puppets + theater" and "shadow puppets + research" and other models to make shadow puppets more life-like.

  [Concurrent] Li Juan, the fifth generation inheritor of Jinan shadow puppetry

  Shadow puppets make it alive and interesting for everyone. It must be performed, not just (show) making shadow puppets.

So I made this kind of small theater management model, so that everyone can come to our theater and be able to calm down and spend more than an hour to put shadow puppets in modern dramas, traditional dramas, fables and fairy tales, etc. Show everyone with a variety of styles, interspersed with interaction.

You will find that what I watched in the shadow puppet theater is not just a show, but the shadow puppet culture.

  [Explanation] In recent years, Li Juan has formed the Jinan shadow puppet girl group composed entirely of "post-80s" and "post-90s" girls, engaged in shadow puppet design, sculpture, research, etc., and achieved good results.

  [Concurrent] Li Juan, the fifth generation inheritor of Jinan shadow puppetry

  The development of our Jinan shadow puppetry cannot rely on me alone. In the process of teaching, I found that many young people are willing to join my team, especially girls. Originally, I was a girl again. I always think, who said Women are not as good as men.

Many girls and young girls have joined my team and established the only girl shadow puppet group in China.

I really want to let everyone really like shadow puppets through the open teaching of shadow puppets like me.

  [Explanation] "Three-foot raw silk is used to make a stage. It is humorous. Sometimes under the window of the moonlight, a smile is still in your grasp." The elderly Li Xingshi passed the important task of inheriting Jinan shadow puppetry to his granddaughter Li Juan. He is confident about this.

  [Concurrent] Li Xingshi, the national non-genetic inheritor of shadow puppetry

  I have been learning shadow puppetry with my father since I was five or six years old. I am over 80 years old this year. I have been doing shadow puppetry all my life, because I love shadow puppetry. Now Jinan shadow puppetry has a fifth-generation heir. I really hope these young people will pass on Jinan shadow puppetry. Go down.

  [Explanation] Regarding the grandfather's entrustment and expectation, the filial "female head" said that she will continue to explore a new path to inherit shadow puppetry, and strive to expand the influence of Jinan shadow puppetry.

  [Concurrent] Li Juan, the fifth generation inheritor of Jinan shadow puppetry

  Now Jinan shadow puppets are passed down to my generation. I think that Jinan shadow puppets are not only owned by our Li family, nor just from Jinan and Shandong, but also our best traditional culture in China, so I hope that through our generation Young people, to be the most innovative cultural communicators, truly let our shadow puppets enter thousands of households.

  Zhang Shun intern Shen Lijia reports from Jinan

Editor in charge: [Li Yuxin]