The heritage hidden in shadows

Have you ever experienced a shadow play (皮影戏)? In ancient China, it     1     (feature) numerous and vivid characters, underwent rapid transformations in the blink of an eye, and even included special effects, music and performances, without using computers.

Merely     2     (rely) on hands, the ancient Chinese art of shadow play is a tradition with a history that     3     (date) back 2,000 years, and it’s also a representative of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity recognized by UNESCO.

Dang,     4     identity is the fifth-generation inheritor of Wang’s Shadow, a family troupe (剧团) in Xi’an, Shaanxi province, is famous for making shadow puppets off     5     beaten track. Not only does he     6     (skillful) combine the traditional with the contemporary in his creations, he also pioneers approaches     7     enhancing the presentation and     8     (preserve) of this cultural heritage.

During the China-Central Asia Summit in May, Dang and his team used the puppets to illustrate female heroes from films, along with many colorful scenes and maps introducing the countries     9     (involve) in the Belt and Road Initiative. “We aim to demonstrate the excellence of our traditional culture,     10     its ability to produce remarkable creations. Once people are aware that shadow puppets can be cool, their natural desire will be to participate,” Dang says.

Peking Opera is no stranger to the cinema. In 1905, the first Chinese movie ever made, The Battle of Dingjunshan,     1    (feature) a recording of a Peking Opera show with the same title performed by the celebrated master Tan Xinpei (1847-1917) .

Movies featuring the art form were popular in the 1930s and 1940s. Famous masters starred in films,     2     have become valuable material for researchers. In the 1960s and 1970s, revolutionary-themed modern Peking Opera theatrical productions became     3    (increasing) popular.

In 2011, the government-supported Peking Opera Film Project was launched, bringing together top artists and movie studios     4    (transform) classic shows into feature-length movies.

A total of 16 Peking Opera companies, schools and film studios     5    (join) the project since it started,     6     more than 60 leading artists have starred in the 19 Peking Opera movies that have been shot.

Yin Xiaodong, president of the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts, said, “The big screen highlights facial     7    (expression), movements and detailed gestures made by Peking Opera performers     8    (give) audiences a clearer view of the ancient art form. Moreover, as there are only a limited number of seats in     9    (tradition) theatres, cinematic versions overcome the limitations of time and space.”

The film The Jewelry Purse, adapted     10     the classic work performed by Peking Opera master Cheng Yanqiu (1904-1958), is the latest movie listed in the Peking Opera Film Project.

China’s first ever Master’s degree in comprehensive Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) research kicked off at Tianjin University in August 2022. Now, the major has received its first update, and a set of textbooks     1     (tailor) to the special degree are currently being compiled (编写).

The titles of three textbooks    2     (reveal) so far. The General Theory of Intangible Cultural Heritage aims to provide students with a theoretical foundation for ICH research and will be     3    great use to newcomers in the field. The Book of Wolk Literature and Art and The Oral History of Inheritors are designed with case study examples attached to each subject.

The textbooks are being worked on by leading experts in the field. Twenty years ago, Chinese     4    ( pioneer) scholar Xiang Yunju published a book called Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. The book has become     5    basic guide for the world’s as well as China’s scholars to establish a comprehensive ICH system. Currently, Xiang is working as the chief    6    (edit) of The General Theory of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Although the major is not the only Master’s degree in China to touch upon the subject of ICH, yet unlike all other “cultural heritage” majors    7     see ICH as a sub-discipline, the    8     (new) established major attempts to provide students from different backgrounds with the most targeted training according to the     9    (official).

Such a kind of “interdisciplinary” training led Su Junjie, a Chinese ICH scholar with years of teaching experience at Deakin University in Australia,     10     (call) it “innovative” and “world-leading”.

Did you ever imagine that one day we could enjoy the benefits of Traditional Chinese Medicine in a cup of coffee?

Traditional Chinese Medicine, or TCM, is    1    approach used to help people re-balance their health and mind. A typical way of making a TCM formula (配方) is to get a prescription from a    2    (license) doctor, shop for all the medicinal materials, and then brew(煎) them with water in a pot. These materials    3    (say) to have a restorative effect by re-balancing one’s natural energy, or Qi,     4    runs through series of invisible meridians (经脉) throughout the body.

But if you ask younger generations of Chinese, few visit TCM shops nowadays, let alone brew these time-tested remedies for    5    (they). However, social media has recently seen a type of coffee    6    (feature) goji berry juice get popular.

The concept of combining TCM herbs    7    popular drinks could make young people access TCM more easily. The key of TCM is    8    (prevent). By trying such drinks, young people can take more care of their health, and nip sicknesses in the bud. Most people, attracted in such a cafe by the”new TCM drinks“ at first, would also be offered other TCM products like dried herbs and teas, after which they stay    9    (learn) more about TCM.

As Traditional Chinese Medicine becomes more    10    (access) to young people, many are integrating these ancient drinks into their daily wellness routines.