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Qibao Shadow Art Museum is located in Qibao Ancient Town of Shanghai City. The museum includes a performance area and an exhibition area. There are regular shadow play performances in the museum. At the same time, the Qibao Shadow Art is displayed including  the basic form, artistic characteristics, inheritance. The lineage of Qibao Shadow Play is displayed in the form of graphics, objects, audio and video, collection of works and historical treasures of Qibao shadow puppetry.

In the 6th years of Empeor Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty(1880), Mr Mao Gengyu who was from Qibaotown learned a full set of shadow puppetry performances in eastern Zhejiang, and he returned to his hometown to build the Hongxuetang shadow puppet theater. Qibao shadow play was formed and affected all over the world. Qibao became the birthplace of Shanghai shadow play.

Shadow Play art is the cultural heritage of Qibao Town. An eighth generation shadow puppeteer, Mr Chu, is currently the head of the Qibao Shadow Play troupe. Mr Chu values the history and culture that surrounds the art, believing shadow play to be one of the seven cultural treasures in the Qibao area.

Growing up in the small town of Qibao, Mr Chu became interested in shadow puppetry very early in his life and began his apprenticeship as a puppeteer. During his interview, he discussed how watching an old artist who did Shadow Play was an integral part of his learning process.

While the aesthetic design of the shadow plays is important, the narrative elements of the show promote intangible meaning and value. Described by Chu as “painting with motion”, Shadow Play is the combination of many different arts. The incorporation of movement with the intricately designed figures makes Shadow Play much like an animation. Apart from the visual qualities of shadow puppetry, the plays also have dialogue, instruments, and opera music – it is a combination of folk art and opera.

Travel Tips
Address: No. 95 North West Street, Qibao Ancient Town, Shanghai City
Ticket price: 5 yuan / person
Performance time: Every Saturday 13: 00-15: 00