A Rugao rod puppet show is performed on a China Central Television program on May 4. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

A Rugao rod puppet show was performed on a China Central Television program on May 4, showing people's happy and prosperous lives in the countryside through puppets.

"It took half a month for us to perfect our performance. In the process, we got many new ideas, which will be gradually integrated into other works in the future," said Zhou Shenbing, head of the Rugao puppet art troupe.

Established in 1954, the Rugao puppet art troupe is a unit for the preservation of Rugao rod puppet shows – a Jiangsu provincial intangible cultural heritage item.

In the 70 years since its establishment, the troupe has staged over 100 puppet shows and has won awards in international and domestic art events.

The troupe has conducted artistic exchanges with countries and regions such as Japan, Germany, France, Russia, and Israel, and has performed in countries such as France, Russia, Romania, South Korea, Thailand and Singapore.