Shadow puppet play(皮影戏), also called “shadow play”, is a traditional Chinese art of storytelling. Dramas were played out in screen or walls for thousands of years to entertain(娱乐) and instruct. It was very popular in many parts of China during the Tang (618—907) and Song(960—1279) periods.
Shadow puppets are made of hard leather(皮革). The leather is cut out in the shape of a person, an animal or an object. Each puppet is painted in bright colors and put on a stick. Different colors are used to show good and bad of persons in the drama. Some puppets have movable arms and legs. They're reflected(反射，映出) on the white screen through the light.
During a shadow puppet play, the players stand behind a white screen with lights behind it
The audience sit in front of the screen. The players hold the puppets very close to the screen so the audience can see the puppets' shadows clearly. Then they move the puppets around and do the voices of the different roles.
Now with TV and films, shadow puppet plays are not as popular as before. But the basic principle(愿望) and ways of shadow performance played an important leading role in the invention of the modern movie and the development of the movies and cartoons. Nowadays, the
Chinese shadow puppet plays have been collected by the museums of many countries in the world. It is the treasure in the world culture and art family.
