Marionnettes vivantes: art ancien, formes nouvelles

Quanzhou marionette,also known as Suspended string Puppet in ancient times, originated in the Qin and Han dynasties. It has the longest uninterrupted inheritance and the richest cultural and artistic heritage among Chinese puppetry forms.It preserves more than 700 traditional plays and a unique musical system Kuilei Tune consisting of over 300 melodies. Its exquisite and rigorous performance has made it an outstanding model and undisputed representative of Chinese string puppetry.In 2006, it was inscribed on the First National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.In 2012, it was included in the Register of Good Safeguarding Practices under the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, and remains China’s only project on this register to date.
For more than 70 years since its founding, the troupe has created and staged numerous outstanding plays, including The Flooding of the Golden Mountain, Flame Mountain, The Imperial Envoy, The Orphan of Zhao, Huo Qubing, and others. Its productions have won many awards at national, provincial and international art festivals. As a goodwill envoy of Chinese culture, the troupe has undertaken cultural exchanges in more than 80 countries and regions across five continents over 300 times. It has received the People’s Friendship Contribution Award from the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.It was designated as the UNIMA International Research and Training Center for Puppetry and Shadow Theatre by UNESCO International Puppetry Association (UNIMA).The troupe was awarded National Advanced Collective in Cultural Work in 2005 and National Advanced Collective in Culture and Tourism in 2021.
The troupe has been invited to perform at major events and venues including:the UN Headquarters, UNESCO Headquarters, the Opening Ceremony of the 29th Beijing Olympic Games, the CCTV Spring Festival Gala, CCTV Lantern Festival Gala, Carnegie Hall (USA), and the Royal Opera of Belgium, enjoying a high reputation both at home and abroad.