Traditional drama -- rod puppet show [Photo/ntsfy.cn]

Located in the Jianghai Plain, Rugao, in Nantong, Jiangsu province has a long history and a colorful culture. It is known as the city of puppets. There are many kinds of puppets including puppets of lifting threads, rods, cloth bags, lanterns and fans.

Rugao’s rod puppet show is a sophisticated stage performance art with the basic characteristics of any dramatic art. The rod puppet is made up of four parts: the head, the body, the pole (commonly known as the lifting rod or life rod), and the rod.

The head of the puppet used to be carved with lighter wood, but now it is made of stiffened pulp, fiberglass or sponge. The body part used to be lined with a piece of wood on the shoulder to support the clothes. In order to be lively, now it is made of sponge and pulp. The lifting rod is made of bamboo and wood. The rod is made of bamboo strips and reinforcing bars. During the performance, the performer holds the lifting rod with his right hand, and uses a forefinger to move the eye line, mouth line and the head line of the puppet. The movements of the puppet’s body, head and neck rely mainly on the lifting rod, which is known as the life rod. The performer’s left hand handles the rod to control the puppet's hands. The action of the puppet’s feet requires help from other performers. In 1999, a large-scale rod puppet, nearly three meters tall, was used to create a brilliant image of Da Yu, a famous Chinese emperor. A few years ago, the God of Longevity rod puppet was made and performed in the “celebrity worship” show broadcasted on CCTV.

The Rugao rod puppet show enjoys a high reputation at home and abroad for its long folk art tradition, exquisite puppet craftsmanship, magical dancing and special effects. It has been performed in the Art Festival of the Beijing Asian Games, the second and sixth Chinese Art Festivals, and in South Korea, Thailand and Romania. The rod puppet show won a special award at the fourth Puppet Festival in Europe.