Puppet performing arts are an important part of Chinese traditional culture, and a national treasure that has been passed down for over two thousand years. 

Laixi puppet show, an intangible cultural heritage of eastern Chinese city of Qingdao, has gone through years of rise and fall.

Laixi, a county-level city in Qingdao, is the birthplace of Chinese puppetry and is widely considered the hometown of the performing art. 

The city has so far cultivated five generations of inheritors, greatly pushing forward the development and spread of this art. 

A Laixi puppet museum has been built to better promote the traditional art. 

Artists rehearse puppetry show at the Laixi puppet museum in Laixi, a county-level city of Qingdao, Shandong province. The city is widely considered as the hometown of the performing art. [Photo by VCG/dzwww.com] 

Jiang Yutao, the fifth-generation inheritor of Laxi puppet show, performs the traditional art at the Laixi puppet museum in Qingdao, Shandong province. [Photo by VCG/dzwww.com] 

Lyu Xudong, director of the Laixi puppeteer group, conceives new perform form at the Laixi puppet museum in Qingdao, Shandong province. [Photo by VCG/dzwww.com]

Different puppet character props are displayed at the Laixi puppet museum in Qingdao, Shandong province. [Photo by VCG/dzwww.com] 

Puppet character props from popular Chinese and western literature are displayed at the Laixi puppet museum in Qingdao, Shandong province. [Photo by VCG/dzwww.com]  

Exquisite and lifelike puppet character props are displayed at the Laixi puppet museum in Qingdao, Shandong province. [Photo by VCG/dzwww.com] 

An artist performs the technique of "changing face" of Laixi puppet show at the puppet museum in Qingdao, Shandong province. [Photo by VCG/dzwww.com] 

An artist performs the Laixi puppet show in Qingdao, Shandong province. [Photo by VCG/dzwww.com]

A performer stages the Laixi puppet show in Qingdao, Shandong province. [Photo by VCG/dzwww.com]