Video: The personalities of puppets

On a bright afternoon in Beijing, stepping into a traditional courtyard just east of the Forbidden City feels like entering another world. Beyond the weathered rock garden, a mesmerizing interplay of light and movement unfolds, blending centuries-old artistry with modern innovation.

In the courtyard's water feature, six mechanical red koi, inspired by intricate paper-cut designs, glide in fluid, circular motions from the depths to the surface. Titled Leaping, this dynamic art installation by Cui Xiaoqing captures the delicate grace of both traditional craftsmanship and kinetic art.

Inside the main exhibition hall, a striking shadow puppet figure of the legendary female warrior, Mu Guiying, of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), towers several meters high. As sunlight filters through ornate lattice windows, its shifting reflections merge with the rippling water outside. Poised with spear in hand, the puppet almost appears alive. This piece, Peach Blossom Horse, now on show at Nanchizi Museum in Beijing, is the work of 56-year-old Wang Haiyan, a fourth-generation inheritor of Wang's Shadow Puppetry, a Huaxian shadow puppetry family versed in the national intangible cultural heritage from Huaxian county, Weinan, Shaanxi province. These inheritors, based in Xi'an, Shaanxi, are known for making shadow puppets, and especially for their carving skills.