For Suo Wanjin, puppets are toys..they're also a way of life. From Little Ling Dang, the 1960s star of a puppet movie, to the "Little Mermaid", Suo has created so many characters he's lost count. With this year's Children's Day upon us, we take a look round this puppet master's playful world.
"The Little Mermaid" was put on by the China Puppet Art Troupe last year to mark the 200th anniversary of Hans Christian Anderson's birth. The starring puppet was crafted by Suo Wanjin.
Suo Wanjin said, This puppet was made in 1997. It's Hans Christian Anderson's "Little Mermaid".
I created this crane and tortoise in Thailand in 1982. These are copies made by my apprentice.
I made this one for a Japanese play called Taro Urashima. It's the daughter of the sea dragon king.
Back in 1951 during the Korean War, the Chinese volunteer army not only needed soldiers, but also artists. I was a middle school student then. In response to the country's call, I enrolled in the West
Liaoning Provincial Art School. The school trained us very quickly. Soon after graduation, the war ended. I was then sent to make puppets for the West Liaoning Provincial Art Troupe.
The West Liaoning Provincial Art Troupe was moved to Beijing soon after that to become part of the China Puppet Art Troupe. Suo was a member of that troupe for forty five years until he retired in 1997. He designed the troupe's logo and one of its most famous puppets: Little Ling Dang.
