Master puppeteers from east China's Zhejiang Province have devoted their lives to preserving and showcasing the timeless art of puppetry, which has a history spanning thousands of years.

These skilled artisans are breathing life into traditional string puppetry, a revered form of Chinese performing arts.
String puppetry, an age-old art form, involves manipulating intricately designed puppets using strings. With a rich historical background, it has played an integral role in Chinese culture for generations.
Puppet drama was included in China's first batch of intangible cultural heritage items on May 20, 2006.
Zhou Shanshan, who has been studying puppet drama for over a decade now, expresses her passion for the craft.
"During the performance, the audience's applause greatly motivates us and makes me very excited," Zhou said.
Hong Lijun, an industry veteran with nearly 30 years of work experience in puppetry, feels honored to introduce people to this invaluable form of Chinese intangible cultural heritage.
"I am really honored to introduce people to this form of Chinese intangible cultural heritage," Hong said.
"Influenced by my ancestors, I really love traditional opera culture. So, I became an apprentice of puppet shows. On stage, we invest our emotions into the puppets. Our technique is demonstrated in our movements. For example, to portray a noble consort, I will express her emotions according to her identity," Hong continued.
Zhou proudly reveals her family's deep-rooted connection to puppet drama.
"My father is a provincial-level inheritor of this intangible cultural heritage. My uncle is a county-level inheritor of this intangible cultural heritage. My husband and I also studied puppet drama. It can be said that I come from a family of puppet drama artists," Zhou said.
Passionate about the preservation of this art form, Hong said, "I am very fond of puppet drama. I think it needs to be passed down."
Due to the scarcity of individuals learning this ancient craft, Zhou expresses her hope that more people will take an interest in studying puppet drama.
"Because there are very few people learning it, I really hope that those who are interested can study puppet drama. Let's carry this forward and continue to inherit our puppet drama legacy," Zhou said.