A student plays a shadow puppet under the guide of Liu Mancang in Changjiahe Town of Tongwei County, northwest China's Gansu Province, July 1, 2025. After harvesting his own wheat, Liu Mancang, an inheritor of the national intangible cultural heritage project Tongwei Shadow Puppetry, began traveling through the village to perform shadow play for his fellow villagers in Changjiahe Town, Tongwei County, making the most of his leisure time during the farming off season.

Tongwei Shadow Puppetry is widely spread across Dingxi, Tianshui and Longnan in Gansu Province. It is a folk drama in which animal skins or cardboard are made into silhouettes to perform stories.

Liu, now 60, began to learn shadow puppetry from his grandfather at the age of 12. After decades of study, he has mastered the skills of shadow puppetry proficiently and collected and sorted out over a hundred shadow puppetry scripts. In 2018, he was recognized as an inheritor of Tongwei Shadow Puppetry.

Liu has visited and studied in provinces like Shaanxi, Henan and Guangdong. While improving his own skills, he also promoted Tongwei Shadow Puppetry through voluntary performances in schools, hoping that this ancient folk art would shine with new luster. (Photo by Wang Kexian/Xinhua)

Liu Mancang instructs students to play shadow puppets in Changjiahe Town of Tongwei County, northwest China's Gansu Province, July 1, 2025. After harvesting his own wheat, Liu Mancang, an inheritor of the national intangible cultural heritage project Tongwei Shadow Puppetry, began traveling through the village to perform shadow play for his fellow villagers in Changjiahe Town, Tongwei County, making the most of his leisure time during the farming off season.

Tongwei Shadow Puppetry is widely spread across Dingxi, Tianshui and Longnan in Gansu Province. It is a folk drama in which animal skins or cardboard are made into silhouettes to perform stories.

Liu, now 60, began to learn shadow puppetry from his grandfather at the age of 12. After decades of study, he has mastered the skills of shadow puppetry proficiently and collected and sorted out over a hundred shadow puppetry scripts. In 2018, he was recognized as an inheritor of Tongwei Shadow Puppetry.

Liu has visited and studied in provinces like Shaanxi, Henan and Guangdong. While improving his own skills, he also promoted Tongwei Shadow Puppetry through voluntary performances in schools, hoping that this ancient folk art would shine with new luster. (Photo by Wang Kexian/Xinhua)

Liu Mancang dries wheat at home in Changjiahe Town of Tongwei County, northwest China's Gansu Province, July 1, 2025. After harvesting his own wheat, Liu Mancang, an inheritor of the national intangible cultural heritage project Tongwei Shadow Puppetry, began traveling through the village to perform shadow play for his fellow villagers in Changjiahe Town, Tongwei County, making the most of his leisure time during the farming off season.

Tongwei Shadow Puppetry is widely spread across Dingxi, Tianshui and Longnan in Gansu Province. It is a folk drama in which animal skins or cardboard are made into silhouettes to perform stories.

Liu, now 60, began to learn shadow puppetry from his grandfather at the age of 12. After decades of study, he has mastered the skills of shadow puppetry proficiently and collected and sorted out over a hundred shadow puppetry scripts. In 2018, he was recognized as an inheritor of Tongwei Shadow Puppetry.

Liu has visited and studied in provinces like Shaanxi, Henan and Guangdong. While improving his own skills, he also promoted Tongwei Shadow Puppetry through voluntary performances in schools, hoping that this ancient folk art would shine with new luster. (Photo by Wang Kexian/Xinhua)

Liu Mancang paints a part of a shadow puppet at home in Changjiahe Town of Tongwei County, northwest China's Gansu Province, June 25, 2025. After harvesting his own wheat, Liu Mancang, an inheritor of the national intangible cultural heritage project Tongwei Shadow Puppetry, began traveling through the village to perform shadow play for his fellow villagers in Changjiahe Town, Tongwei County, making the most of his leisure time during the farming off season.

Tongwei Shadow Puppetry is widely spread across Dingxi, Tianshui and Longnan in Gansu Province. It is a folk drama in which animal skins or cardboard are made into silhouettes to perform stories.

Liu, now 60, began to learn shadow puppetry from his grandfather at the age of 12. After decades of study, he has mastered the skills of shadow puppetry proficiently and collected and sorted out over a hundred shadow puppetry scripts. In 2018, he was recognized as an inheritor of Tongwei Shadow Puppetry.

Liu has visited and studied in provinces like Shaanxi, Henan and Guangdong. While improving his own skills, he also promoted Tongwei Shadow Puppetry through voluntary performances in schools, hoping that this ancient folk art would shine with new luster. (Photo by Wang Kexian/Xinhua)

Liu Mancang performs shadow puppet show in Changjiahe Town of Tongwei County, northwest China's Gansu Province, June 25, 2025. After harvesting his own wheat, Liu Mancang, an inheritor of the national intangible cultural heritage project Tongwei Shadow Puppetry, began traveling through the village to perform shadow play for his fellow villagers in Changjiahe Town, Tongwei County, making the most of his leisure time during the farming off season.

Tongwei Shadow Puppetry is widely spread across Dingxi, Tianshui and Longnan in Gansu Province. It is a folk drama in which animal skins or cardboard are made into silhouettes to perform stories.

Liu, now 60, began to learn shadow puppetry from his grandfather at the age of 12. After decades of study, he has mastered the skills of shadow puppetry proficiently and collected and sorted out over a hundred shadow puppetry scripts. In 2018, he was recognized as an inheritor of Tongwei Shadow Puppetry.

Liu has visited and studied in provinces like Shaanxi, Henan and Guangdong. While improving his own skills, he also promoted Tongwei Shadow Puppetry through voluntary performances in schools, hoping that this ancient folk art would shine with new luster. (Photo by Wang Kexian/Xinhua)

Liu Mancang performs a shadow puppet show in Changjiahe Town of Tongwei County, northwest China's Gansu Province, June 25, 2025. After harvesting his own wheat, Liu Mancang, an inheritor of the national intangible cultural heritage project Tongwei Shadow Puppetry, began traveling through the village to perform shadow play for his fellow villagers in Changjiahe Town, Tongwei County, making the most of his leisure time during the farming off season.

Tongwei Shadow Puppetry is widely spread across Dingxi, Tianshui and Longnan in Gansu Province. It is a folk drama in which animal skins or cardboard are made into silhouettes to perform stories.

Liu, now 60, began to learn shadow puppetry from his grandfather at the age of 12. After decades of study, he has mastered the skills of shadow puppetry proficiently and collected and sorted out over a hundred shadow puppetry scripts. In 2018, he was recognized as an inheritor of Tongwei Shadow Puppetry.

Liu has visited and studied in provinces like Shaanxi, Henan and Guangdong. While improving his own skills, he also promoted Tongwei Shadow Puppetry through voluntary performances in schools, hoping that this ancient folk art would shine with new luster. (Photo by Wang Kexian/Xinhua)

Liu Mancang carves on a shadow puppet at his home in Changjiahe Town of Tongwei County, northwest China's Gansu Province, June 25, 2025. After harvesting his own wheat, Liu Mancang, an inheritor of the national intangible cultural heritage project Tongwei Shadow Puppetry, began traveling through the village to perform shadow play for his fellow villagers in Changjiahe Town, Tongwei County, making the most of his leisure time during the farming off season.

Tongwei Shadow Puppetry is widely spread across Dingxi, Tianshui and Longnan in Gansu Province. It is a folk drama in which animal skins or cardboard are made into silhouettes to perform stories.

Liu, now 60, began to learn shadow puppetry from his grandfather at the age of 12. After decades of study, he has mastered the skills of shadow puppetry proficiently and collected and sorted out over a hundred shadow puppetry scripts. In 2018, he was recognized as an inheritor of Tongwei Shadow Puppetry.

Liu has visited and studied in provinces like Shaanxi, Henan and Guangdong. While improving his own skills, he also promoted Tongwei Shadow Puppetry through voluntary performances in schools, hoping that this ancient folk art would shine with new luster. (Photo by Wang Kexian/Xinhua)