French puppet show "De La Fontaine" wowing audiences in China

This photo taken on May 7, 2024 shows people watching a puppet show at a shopping mall in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province. (Xinhua/Chen Zhenhai)

CHANGSHA, May 10 (Xinhua) -- Giant animal puppets held up by actors and aerial dancers swinging via red ribbons, all formed part of a puppet show on top of a shopping mall which impressed the audience with its French flavor in the central Chinese city of Changsha on Wednesday.

The puppet show "De La Fontaine" is on a tour in China from May 4 to 12, and will be staged in Harbin in northeast China this weekend, after earlier hitting the streets of central China's Wuhan and Changsha.

Staged by international theater company Archibald Caramantran, the shows are part of this year's Croisements Festival marking 60 years of diplomatic ties between China and France, according to Thomas Penot, cultural attache at the French Consulate General in Wuhan.

The shows, staged in open-air public places, are based on French writer Jean de La Fontaine's fables "Red Balloon" and "Rooster and Stork Romance."

"We really enjoy performing for a Chinese audience, as audiences here are very playful when interacting with the actors," said Olivier Hagenloch, the company's artistic director, adding that the visit has helped the company understand China better.

The Croisements Festival has provided a platform for cultural exchange between China and France for 18 consecutive years. This year, the festival will take place in over 30 Chinese cities and feature more than 400 events.

People interact with performers after a puppet show at a shopping mall in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, May 7, 2024. (Xinhua/Chen Zhenhai)

Performers stage a puppet show at a shopping mall in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, May 7, 2024. (Xinhua/Chen Zhenhai)

An aerial drone photo taken on May 7, 2024 shows people watching a puppet show at a shopping mall in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province. (Xinhua/Chen Zhenhai)

Performers stage a puppet show "De La Fontaine" in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, May 5, 2024. (French Consulate General in Wuhan/Handout via Xinhua)

Performers stage a puppet show "De La Fontaine" in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, May 5, 2024. (French Consulate General in Wuhan/Handout via Xinhua)

Performers stage a puppet show "De La Fontaine" in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, May 5, 2024. (French Consulate General in Wuhan/Handout via Xinhua)