When the Spring Festival falls, red flowers bloom (盛开) on the windows of my home. Of course, these are not1flowers. But in the cold of2, these wonderful flowers bring warmth to us. They are made of paper by my3, who is now aged 70. With a few cuts, she4a piece of paper into a beautiful work of art.
When my grandma was young, she was considered clumsy (笨拙的) in the5. But on a cold winter night, she saw some beautiful red paper6on her new neighbour's windows. She was so interested in it and decided to7from her neighbour. Tons of paper was wasted, and her fingers were cut many times. But she8practising. It took 10 years9my grandma could make paper art skillfully (熟练地). The red flowers, blooming like burning fire, light up her world. Now, everyone in the village10her.
My grandma's story has shown me what it takes to realize one's dream.
More than 2,000 years ago, a favorite wife of Emperor (皇帝)Wu of the Han Dynasty died of illness. The emperor missed her so much that he didn't want to do anything. One day, a minister (大臣）saw children playing with dolls. The shadows on the floor were interesting. The smart minister had an idea. He made a puppet of the favorite wife and painted it. As night fell, he asked the emperor to watch a puppet show behind a curtain. The emperor was very happy and became interested in it. In this way, puppet shows began.
Shadow puppets were first made of paper, later from the hides of donkeys (驴皮). That's why their Chinese name is pi ying. Shadow puppet plays were very popular during the Tang and Song Dynasties in many parts of China.
Today, shadow puppet plays face extinction like other traditional art forms such as Nuo Drama. We should do something to protect them. Shadow puppet plays in Shaanxi are the most famous. The Academy Gate Cultural Street in Xi'an is a wonderful place for you to choose shadow puppets. Here you can choose from hundreds of figures (人物）in different sizes and poses (姿势).
