Festival keeps folk arts alive

cctv.com 02-19-2005 11:02

The Chinese city is playing host to a special celebration of the country's folk arts. Performers from far and wide came together to stage more than 50 shows over the Lunar New Year holidays.

It's the most wonderful part of Sichuan Opera, constantly changing faces every few seconds. Just in front of the performer, viewers watch without blinking, but still can't tell how he does it. Also from Sichuan province is this acrobatic trick called "rolling candle".

Whenever Chinese folk arts are mentioned, the name of Tianqiao is sure to come up. These performers are from the famous Tianqiao or "Heaven Bridge" area in the south of Beijing. The area dates back to the Yuan Dynasty, about 700 years ago, and became the center of Chinese folk arts at the end of Qing Dynasty, nearly 100 years ago.

And, of course, the entertainment also includes something for children - traditional stringed puppet shows from Shaanxi province in northwest China.

An audience member said: "The puppets are so cute! I've never seen ones like these before. With only a few strings, they can move and act like real people, so lovely!"

Besides the lively performances, some eye-catching handicrafts are also on display. There is a 32-meter-long Chinese Lunar New Year woodblock print from Shandong province on China's east coast. The picture of a country scene has been printed from 531 pieces of wood.

Zhang Yunxiang, craftsman, said: "I spent nearly three years carving the woodblocks and it took 14 people three months to complete the printing. It's not an easy job, but I'm still very happy that people can come and appreciate it."

As the name "Wonderful Time in the Countryside" suggests, the print depicts the seasonal round of local farmers: flying kites in Spring, weaving in summer, harvesting in autumn, and of course, in winter celebrating the Lunar New Year Spring Festival.

Editor:Xiang Jing  Source:CCTV.com