【Epoch Times, October 24, 2024】”Our Donghua Shadow Puppetry Troupe was invited to perform in the Philippines in 1956. It can be said that we were the first group from Taiwan to perform abroad. My father also performed in the United States 50 years ago on a three-month tour, showing that shadow puppetry is highly appreciated by foreigners,” said Zhang Dongguo, the head of the Donghua Shadow Puppetry Troupe from Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The troupe was established during the Qing Dynasty’s Jiaqing period and is the oldest family troupe still active in Taiwan, now in its seventh generation.
In his twilight years, Zhang Dongguo continues to be active on stage. In mid-October this year, he traveled to Houston, United States, at the invitation of Rice University to showcase the traditional art form by presenting the enduring classic “Journey to the West” Shadow Puppetry to the world stage. On the other hand, blending modern light and shadow art, shadow puppetry, and music, a unique theater concert was presented, realizing the integration of ancient and modern. “Birds Are Real, Ambushed From Ten Directions” was conceptualized by Rice University music professor and Taiwanese composer Chen Shih-hui, with the collaboration of Taiwanese emerging director Huang Dingyun, visual artist Chen Jiawei, and the Donghua Shadow Puppetry Troupe.
The origin of shadow puppetry can be traced back to the Song Dynasty. Wu Zimu of the Southern Song Dynasty recorded in the “Menglianglu”: “There are puppeteers, initially carving designs on plain paper, later skilled craftsmen used sheepskin for shaping. It was embellished with colors to prevent damage.” It can be seen that shadow puppetry originally came from paper cutting before evolving into sheepskin production. The “Shadow Puppet Theatre” at the Kaohsiung City History Museum introduces, “Shadow puppetry is mainly performed during festivals, deity celebrations, wedding ceremonies, funerals, thanksgiving, and when households make vows, and it is usually performed at night because the lighting highlights the colors and outlines of the puppets more clearly, hence folk performances are quite frequent.”
During their visit to Houston this year, the Donghua Shadow Puppetry Troupe was invited to perform three shows. Accompanied by rhythmic drumming, shimmering lighting effects, dozens of different shadow puppet characters entered the stage one by one. The traditional play “Journey to the West: Bull Demon King in the Golden Hoop Mountain” featured spectacular fight scenes, with audiences marveling at the skillful techniques of the shadow puppetry artists. The rapid character changes were mesmerizing, akin to magic, earning applause and laughter from the audience.
After each performance, backstage visits were usually open to the audience. Many spectators marveled at the exquisite puppets. Zhang Dongguo enthusiastically explained, “Many people are curious. For example, when Sun Wukong turns around, why does he transform into something else instantly? I tell them, it’s magic! Our movements are fast!”
Traditional shadow puppetry primarily serves as offerings to deities. In the early days of the Donghua Shadow Puppetry Troupe, they were closely associated with festival activities and temple fairs. Shadow puppetry, passed down from the Minnan and Canton areas to Taiwan, belongs to the Chaozhou school. The first-generation leader of the Zhang family troupe, Zhang Zhuang, established the troupe in the early Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty, naming it “Dexing Ban” after their own bakery. They performed with a shadow puppetry box at temple fairs. His son, Zhang Wang, continued the family business, and it was passed down to the third generation with Zhang Chuan changing the name to “Xindehing Shadow Puppet Troupe” for dedicated performances. The fourth-generation leader, Zhang Jiao, renamed the troupe “Taiwan Shadow Painting Art Troupe,” standing out from other troupes and recognized as the first public service troupe.
In the fifth-generation leader Zhang Decheng’s time, the troupe was renamed “Donghua Shadow Puppetry Troupe,” the first shadow puppetry troupe to perform abroad, promoting shadow puppetry cultural heritage to the United States, Southeast Asia, Japan, and South Korea. Zhang Decheng’s artistic achievements were widely acknowledged. He was awarded the first “National Arts Heritage Award” by the National Cultural Arts Foundation in 1984, and in 1988, he was named an “Important National Art Master” by the Ministry of Education. He was commissioned by the Ministry of Education to compile the “Taiwan Traditional Shadow Puppet Handbook” and ancient scripts. The hand-copied books from the ancestors’ Qing Dynasty era have now become treasures of the Zhang family.
As the sixth-generation leader Zhang Dongguo approaches his seventies, his puppet-making skills were honored in 2020 by the Kaohsiung City Government as an intangible cultural heritage “Shadow Puppet Making Technique Preservationist.” The Donghua Shadow Puppetry Troupe was recognized by the Ministry of Culture as a “Cultural Heritage Preservation Group.” Every time they go on tour, the whole family collaborates on stage, with Zhang Dongguo taking on the lead role, acting as playwright, director, main and supporting characters, and lead singer. His wife Li Qingyu and son Zhang Zhixuan assist in acting, while puppeteers manipulate the delicate bamboo poles, bringing the shadow puppets to life. Their daughter Zhang Shuhan is in charge of the gong music, along with drums, and Huqin for live music, with the whole family joining forces.
When asked about when he started participating in shadow puppetry, Zhang Dongguo joked, “It might have been during prenatal education! It’s passed down from generation to generation. When I was in my mother’s womb, she followed my father to perform, so I started listening to shadow puppetry music while in her belly.” Shuhan also agreed with her father, saying, “My child also had prenatal education. When I was pregnant, I continued performing as usual. I was mainly responsible for playing the gong. The gong is close to my belly, so I covered it with a cloth or a jacket, fearing the baby would get too excited. It’s really prenatal education!”
Regarding the essential skills for inheriting shadow puppetry, Zhang Dongguo believes that an innate artistic foundation in the family is the secret to the Zhang family’s generational succession. “Our family has a concept of art, naturally good at drawing. So, making shadow puppets is not difficult for us.” The shadow puppetry puppets created by the family are extraordinary. All the characters used in performances are handmade, replicating the inherited designs on the leather, carved with each puppet’s pattern, and colored with natural dyes. Every lifelike puppet symbolizes the craftsmanship and dedication of the artisans.
Shuhan recounted that their family’s traditional shadow puppet designs and costumes have even inspired fashion designers. In the 2023 Taipei Fashion Week, a special fashion show featuring 10 sets of clothing related to shadow puppetry was designed. “It was a very special cross-industry collaboration opportunity. When designer Tang Zongqian saw our puppet designs, he proposed to collaborate with us, which was unique.”
Reflecting on the impact of the internet and new media on the entertainment industry, Zhang Dongguo stated that people’s entertainment preferences have drastically changed over a century ago. Shadow puppetry used to thrive in temple fair performances, but now they have to explore various performing channels. In terms of performance modes and storytelling, innovation is needed to stay relevant.
Shuhan praises her father’s creative mind, saying, “We reinterpret some old scripts, like ‘Journey to the West,’ ‘Fengshen Bang,’ ‘Legend of Ji Gong,’ and ‘Legend of the White Snake,’ by incorporating colloquial language and current events. During the pandemic, Sun Wukong was made to wear masks, evoking laughter from the audience. For example, during a trip, the troupe leader was inspired by a peculiar sight where water and fire coexisted, leading to the creation of a new story, ‘Water and Fire – Legend of Guanziling.'”
Zhang Dongguo shared, “In Baihe, Tainan, there is a strange phenomenon where a high mountain, about two to three hundred meters tall, emits fire and water. So I thought, as people say where there’s something strange, there must be a demon, so I turned the water into a water demon, the fire into a fire demon, and had the two engage in a battle that led to a series of plot twists.”
The writer inquired about the future development prospects of shadow puppetry, to which both Zhang Dongguo and Shuhan expressed confidence in continuing their craft and were optimistic about the future of their shadow puppetry troupe. Shuhan said, “In recent years, we have garnered a lot of attention and many collaborations. Cross-discipline partnerships are currently trending. Everyone wants to experiment with the combination of new and traditional elements to spark creativity. Consequently, we are becoming more popular!”#