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feet are frost-bitten. The rods manipulating the hands may be hidden under loose clothing or visible outside. In the latter case the movements are more lifelike. The artists who put on shows with rod puppets in Hunan, Szechuan, Kiangsu, Kwangtung and Shensi are equally adept at imitating the slow graceful movements of ladies of old and those of intrepid border patrols on horseback. They can make puppets unbutton and take off their clothes, shoot arrows, perform on musical instruments or even play pingpong. In recent years our puppet designers and artists have made certain bold innovations in rod puppets. In the past their features were based on those shown in traditional paintings; thus young people had plump faces, arched eyebrows and almond-shaped eyes. Now different characters of different ages have their distinctive physiognomy to indicate their personalities. The artists also use springs, nylon thread and pulleys to move their eyes, noses and lips, improving on the expressiveness of the performance. The size of these rod puppets varies. In the southwestern province of Szechuan they are as larte as life. The supporting bar is fastened to the waist of the puppeteer, who manipulates the hands with his own hands and has to exert considerable strength. In Hopei and Honan, rod puppets are much smaller, measuring only about one or two feet, so manipulating them is much easier and one operator can sometimes handle two or three at a time. Since the number of puppets in these shows varies and the stage setting can be very simple, this form of entertainment has long been widely popular and has spread to many provinces in China. String puppets or marionettes are more complicated both regarding construction and manipulation. They have loose joints and strings are attached to their heads, shoulders, hands, waist and feet, the number of strings depending on the requirements of the performance. Usually ten to twenty are attached to each figure. The operator stands on a curtained stage above the puppets, holding the support with one hand and pulline the strings with the other. Skilled veteran artists in Fukien, Kiangsu and Kwangtung can make their marionettes wipe their tears, perform sword dances, play football, plough the fields or ride bicycles as dexterously as in real life. Their whole bodies appear on the stage and they can undertake physical feats impossible in other types of drama such as flying in planes through the air, riding on horseback or soaring on clouds. Some companies have successfully staged performances combining marionettes and rod puppets. For example, the Peking Puppet Troupe has performed Playin Havoc in Heaven based on the famous Chinese classical novel Pilgrimage to the West which describes how Monkey King defies the authority of Heaven, revealing the Chinese people's revolt against feudal oppression. In this mythological drama Monkey King takes the form of a tiger to fight the god Erh-lang who has changed himself into a fox; then Monkey reverts to his own form and rides swiftly through the air on clouds to battle against other heavenly troops. By using marionettes, this story is successfully enacted. Hand puppets or glove puppets are the smallest, being only about six oe seven inches high. The puppeteer fits his hand

inside, manipulating the head with his first finger, the hands with his thumb and middle finger, and making accessory movements with his third and little finger. The hand puppets of Fukien are famed for their life like expressions, beautiful costumes and distinctive regional characteristics. They can be made to hold pens and write, pour wine and pass cops, light candles and blow them out. Some artists can, manipulate two figures with different characters and feelings by using both their hands. Their portrayal of acrobatics is outstanding. Thus one drama depicts a hero fighting a tiger, and after a strenuous contest the hero can be seen panting for breath. Since Liberation, Chinese puppet troupes have given performances in many other countries. The late puppeteer Yang Sheng, noted for his skilful manipulation of hand puppets, won a first prize and two gold medals for his performance in international puppet festival in 1960. ( Chou Ti, Chinese Literature, No 9, 1978)