Art form gets back in the saddle

It wasn't until 1975, when Shouyang county authorities decided to host a gala to celebrate the harvest, that the bamboo horse show got to see the light of the day again.

"There were six bamboo horses at that event, and I was the only performer of my age among older actors, including my father," Guo recalls.

"That was when I got serious about the bamboo horse."

Although Guo had led a team to give performances in various events during the following years, he says he didn't take them as the "authentic" bamboo horse drama.

"We just presented the form of the dances, but without any plot," he says.

As most of Guo's predecessors passed away, few people could put on a real bamboo horse drama.

Guo says it was painful for him to see this precious cultural heritage on the verge of disappearing.