The entire troupe consisted of six people, with an average age of over 60. Troupe leader Xie Bangyin struck the drum while directing the performance. The team performed in seamless coordination, delivering a 2-hour cultural feast for local residents.
A lifelong bond
In Tangfang, string puppet theater has long been one of the most beloved forms of entertainment. As a child, Xie was fascinated by the “wooden figures” on stage. In 1985, aged 18, he decided to enter the field as an apprentice. From that moment on, he quite literally tied his life to those strings, binding his own destiny to the future of Tangfang string puppetry.
This local form of puppetry belongs to the marionette tradition. Each puppet’s head, back, hands and feet are connected by dozens of fine strings. A puppeteer must control complex movements with both hands while simultaneously narrating and singing the story. The art demands extraordinary coordination, memory and vocal skill.
For beginners, mastering a single lifting motion or a single line of singing may require thousands of repetitions. Gifted and exceptionally diligent, Xie practiced relentlessly—humming tunes while working in the fields or rehearsing during moments of rest. Months later, he gradually grasped the fundamentals and stepped onto the stage as a performer.
After four decades of refinement, Xie’s techniques have reached remarkable precision. In his hands, puppets can play music instruments, ride bicycles, row boats and gallop on horseback, all with lifelike realism. His singing voice is equally expressive—resonant, melodic and rich in emotion.
In 1997, Xie and several other farmer-performers founded the Qixin Puppet Troupe. The road of perseverance, however, was far from smooth. To make a living, troupe members came and went, and the group once teetered on the brink of disbandment. Yet whenever he looked at the puppets, Xie was reminded of the risk that this cultural heritage might become extinct without effective conservation. In the end, he chose to stay on that tiny stage.
With no stable sources of income, troupe members followed a simple rhythm: “Farming during busy seasons, performing during slack ones.” As the leader, Xie not only performed but also managed every aspect of the troupe. To increase income, he led fellow performers into villages along the border between Jiangxi and Fujian provinces to stage performances. Over the years, Xie has taken part in more than 5,000 shows.
“These lines have long become part of our bodies,” Xie said, describing the state in which performer and performance merge as one. Driven by unwavering passion, he steadily expanded the troupe, securing funding to purchase new stage equipment and puppets and significantly improving performance conditions. In 2013, Tangfang string puppet theater was included in Jiangxi’s fourth batch of representative provincial-level intangible cultural heritage projects. In 2016, Xie was officially recognized as a provincial-level inheritor of intangible cultural heritage.
Keeping tradition alive
Intangible cultural heritage, Xie believes, must grow through a balance of preservation and innovation.
On the preservation front, he has systematically collated and revived more than 50 traditional plays. He reviewed scripts line by line and refined every string movement to ensure that the techniques remain authentic and intact.
Innovation, however, is equally vital. Xie led the creation of new productions such as The Gift Money and I Am a Constitution Advocate. The Gift Money addresses a pressing social issue in rural China: the heavy financial burden associated with marriage. In many rural areas, the groom’s family is to this day still expected to present a substantial sum of money or gifts to the bride’s family, which in some cases has escalated to levels that strain household finances and discourage young people from marrying.
By weaving this contemporary concern into traditional string puppet techniques, The Gift Money tells a story that challenges exorbitant bride prices, promotes simpler wedding customs, and encourages healthy family values. Entertaining while instructive, the production has resonated strongly with rural audiences.
Under Xie’s leadership, the troupe has participated in intangible cultural heritage exhibitions in Fuzhou, and brought puppet performances to more rural communities, expanding the influence of Tangfang puppetry and helping boost local tourism.
What concerns Xie most is how to pass down this precious craft to future generations. On the morning of December 6, after performing for villagers, he hurried to Tangfang Town Central Primary School in Guangchang, carrying three puppets. As the figures began to move before the students, the classroom erupted with excitement. “Who wants to try?” Xie asked with a smile. Children rushed to the front, crowding around him and touching the puppets with curiosity. Gone was the seriousness he displayed on the stage; in its place were patience and warmth as he guided the students’ hands through the simplest movements. Xie believes that a seed planted by his own hands may one day take root and grow.
At the same time, Xie has carefully designed teaching programs and shares his knowledge without reservation with other troupe members and enthusiasts who come seeking guidance.
“Only by holding fast to our passion and devotion can we preserve the roots and soul of traditional culture,” Xie said. For 40 years, strings have never left his hands, and this devoted troupe leader will continue to carry forward the ancient art on the stage. –The Daily Mail-Beijing Review news exchange item
