China Puppet Theatre

China Puppet Theatre

The China Puppet Art Troupe was established in 1955. Over the past 50-plus years, it has primarily focused on puppet performances. It has created and staged nearly 300 plays, produced over 100 episodes of puppet TV dramas such as *Big Lin and Little Lin* and *The Wild Swans*,

and more than 100 episodes of puppet TV dramas, and filmed six

films.

The troupe has nearly 100 key plays. Traditional plays include *Havoc in Heaven*, *The Eight Immortals Crossing the Sea*, *Wang Xia’er Fights the Tiger*, *Zhu Bajie Carries His Wife*, *The Crane and the Tortoise*, and *Little Shepherdess*; modern-themed plays include *Little Heroines of the Grassland*, *Cock-Crow at Midnight*, and *The Magic Suona*; world-famous fairy tale plays include *The Wild Swans*, *The Fish Beauty*, and *The Adventures of Pinocchio*.

The troupe’s performances have reached all parts of the country and are especially popular among audiences, particularly children. The troupe has extensive exchanges and deep friendships with puppetry peers worldwide. It has visited nearly 30 countries including France, Russia, Egypt, the United States, Brazil, Japan, and India. It has won the Grand Prize at the 7th International Puppet Festival in Hungary; the Best Art Award and Children’s Choice Award at the 11th International Puppet Festival in Yugoslavia. In 1992, *The Magic Suona* received the Second Wenhua New Play Award, Wenhua Performance Award, and Puppet Design Award from the Ministry of Culture.

The troupe also operates a dedicated theatre called “China Puppet Theatre.” The theatre covers an area of 5,000 square meters, has 660 seats, and is equipped with advanced lighting, sound systems, and other professional facilities. In addition to puppet shows, the theatre also hosts various cultural performances such as drama, song and dance, folk art, acrobatics, as well as film screenings.

The troupe also runs the “Beijing Magic Doll Production Center,” a business-oriented enterprise mainly focused on designing and producing doll models. It specializes in designing and making various dolls and character figures, as well as designing and producing various puppet toys and crafting and selling a range of artisan products.

The troupe also has a Performance Management Department and a Puppet Workshop that handle both internal and external performances and productions.