Just as the Lantern Shadows Return

As the sixth-generation inheritor of T City's intangible cultural heritage shadow puppetry, Gu Ying has spent the first half of her life working with shadow puppets.

A newcomer joined the troupe, driving a Bentley and wearing a luxury watch. Gu Ying didn't think much of her.

But Huo Deng was different. Her first performance with the troupe was a resounding success. Beneath the shadow screen, light and shadow danced, and a thick haze seemed to cloud Huo Deng's eyes. "Sister Gu, would you date me? The kind that ends in marriage."

[Shadows of the Republic]

In 1944, Huo Qideng wrote to Gu Piaoying: "As our country falls and our people face extinction, our lives mean little. My only regret in this life is having failed you. Take care! I firmly believe that one day our land will be restored, our people will live in prosperity and peace, and the shadow puppets will shine again."

Theme: A story about the intangible cultural heritage of shadow puppetry.