The 10^th shadow puppetry arts festival of Luohu opened at the Jinling branch of Luohu Cultural Center on the afternoon of March 10.

Shadow play is a national intangible cultural heritage, and, thanks to the local government’s support, the Luohu shadow puppetry arts festival has continued to grow, develop, and expand over the past decade.

The festival makes achievements every year, with new plays held each year it is held. Not only has the event become representative of innovative shadow play in China, but the time-honored performing art has also become one of the most popular art forms among local residents in Luohu.

The arts festival this year features plays that highlight the inheritance and innovation of the Hunan school of shadow play. Several representative performance teams have been invited to participate in the festival from the province.

Shadow play researchers were also invited to comment on the performances so that the audiences could gain a deeper appreciation of the connotations expressed during the shows and the artistic characteristics of the genres that they represent.

In honor of the event, many primary and secondary schools in Luohu also recently launched shadow play competitions.