Happiness held by many strings

Happiness held by many stringsChinese mythology and traditional puppetry hit the international stage in France, sharing a cultural universe with new audiences, Chen Nan reports.By Chen Nan|China Daily|Updated: 2026-07-06 06:11

Quanzhou string puppetry will be highlighted during the upcoming Avignon OFF Theatre Festival. [Photo provided to China Daily]

What if the legendary heroes, historical figures and cultural icons of Chinese mythology didn't just live in ancient texts but stepped onto a small stage in France, pulled by strings, shadows and breath?

At this year's Avignon OFF Theatre Festival, one of the world's largest and most dynamic performing arts festivals held every July in the southern French city of Avignon, a new curated program titled Tradition Renewed will do just that, placing Chinese mythology at the heart of an international stage.

From July 15 to 25, the program transforms China's ancient mythological universe — gods, creators, tricksters, and immortals — into something audiences don't simply watch, but "encounter".

Curator Yao Shuo describes the initiative not as a single sweeping epic but as a constellation of mythical fragments.

"Chinese immortals as a theme are not meant to be a singular grand narrative. The mythological theme satisfies audience curiosity," Yao says. "Tradition Renewed is about multiple voices rather than one big story."

Rather than treating deities as distant relics, the program invites audiences into mythology as something fluid and alive — playful, shifting, and unexpectedly intimate.

"We invite audiences to experience Chinese mythology as something that can be retold, reimagined, and even slightly broken, so it feels newly alive," he adds.

Among the participating artists are the Quanzhou string puppetry ensemble and the Quanzhou Marionette Show Inheritance and Protection Center from Fujian province, represented by troupe head Dai Xun, who brings both classical repertoire and newly reimagined works to Avignon for the first time.

Rooted in Minnan (the southern area of Fujian province) culture, Quanzhou string puppetry was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2006 and inscribed in UNESCO's Register of Good Safeguarding Practices in 2012, reflecting both its historical depth and ongoing vitality.

This year, the troupe presents a 60-minute curated program bringing together seven classic and newly created works. At its center is Nezha, a recent production that quickly became a domestic hit after being created last March.

"It became very popular, with many performances completely sold out," says Dai.

A rebellious mythological figure since his earliest literary appearances in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), Ne Zha has long been reinterpreted across generations, making him a flexible symbol for contemporary storytelling.

Behind the spectacle lies extraordinary technical precision.

"Behind every movement are thin silk strings — each gesture controlled with astonishing delicacy, yet capable of expressing vast emotional and narrative worlds," Dai says. "It is a living demonstration of Quanzhou puppetry techniques: a small stage containing an entire universe, where tradition and contemporary imagination move in seamless rhythm."

The program also includes reworked traditional and contemporary pieces under the umbrella presentation Living Puppetry:Ancient Art with New Looks, blending classical structures with updated dramaturgy and stage technologies.

For the Avignon setting, adaptation has been crucial. The troupe's large domestic casts have been scaled down to suit smaller international venues.

"When selecting works, we chose pieces that have already been validated by audiences in China," Dai says. "We normally do 800 to 900 performances a year, and these are among our top 10 most-performed works."

He adds that the selection is designed to balance tradition, innovation and accessibility for audiences unfamiliar with Chinese puppetry.

Dai's own path into the profession began in Quanzhou, Fujian province, where he grew up near a puppet troupe before entering a performing arts school in 1992.

"After school, I would go watch performances. At the time, people said this art could support a livelihood. It became a kind of dream job," he recalls.

His early fascination came from the craft's technical brilliance.

"When I was a child, I was amazed by the skill — it felt fun and fascinating. But training is very hard and often very boring, especially basic skills. It takes years before you can perform on stage."

Yet for Dai, the appeal of puppetry remains fundamentally human.

"What doesn't change is that people love puppetry. Children and older audiences alike enjoy the feeling of control and interaction — like a kind of game. Through puppets, you can express things the human body cannot easily do," he says. "You can even communicate with ancient heroes, as if interacting with them directly."

300-year-old Huai Diao Opera, a form of traditional Chinese opera from Cixian county, Hebei province, will be staged in France.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Another highlight of Tradition Renewed comes from Huai Diao Opera in Cixian county, Hebei province. With a history of around 300 years, the form is known for its high, arching, and emotionally charged vocal style.

The new production is based on a script recorded more than 30 years ago by veteran artist Xie Zhuqing and is jointly produced by the Cixian Hongyi Huai Diao Culture and Art Center and the Hebei Bangzi Opera Theatre.

At its core is a reinterpretation of the myth of Nyuwa repairing the sky, in which the goddess restores cosmic order after a catastrophic collapse of heaven, saving humanity through sacrifice and creation.

"We wanted to let Huai Diao Opera stand again on a contemporary stage, not as a museum piece, but as a living performance language," says Xie.

In its most striking sequence, the production introduces intelligent robotics onto the stage for the first time, enabling human performers and machines to move in synchronized choreography — an unexpected encounter between centuries-old opera aesthetics and emerging technology.

The performance remains anchored in Huai Diao's powerful traditional vocal style, enriched with modern stagecraft and visual effects.

QFunTheater's Children's Experimental Troupe will bring a production adapted from the mythological classic Shan Hai Jing, along with elements of shadow puppetry, to France.[Photo provided to China Daily]

The third major work in the program is based on the mythological classic Shan Hai Jing (The Classic of Mountains and Seas), created by QFunTheater's Children's Experimental Troupe. The entire creative process, from writing and performance to stage design and multimedia, is led by children aged 4 to 14, offering a strikingly youthful reinterpretation of ancient mythology.

The production also features the Wang family shadow puppetry tradition from Huaxian (Huazhou), Shaanxi province, one of China's most important shadow theater schools. A nationally listed intangible cultural heritage passed down through five generations, it is making its theatrical debut in Avignon.

Beyond performances, Tradition Renewed expands into workshops, exhibitions and professional forums. A curator-led open day on July 22 will connect Chinese troupes with international audiences.

Looking ahead, Yao, the curator, says this inaugural edition is only the beginning.

"This is the first year," he says."Next year, we plan to collaborate more directly with international artists, expanding the dialogue beyond Chinese traditions into shared creative territory."