Shadow plays are a traditional form of Chinese folk art. Traditional Beijing shadow puppets are made from donkey hide, the local people call it lupiying (donkey hide shadow play). For hundreds of years shadow plays have brought so much happiness and laughter to the people of Beijing.

The shadow play actor operates the puppets from behind a screen and sings with music. A theatrical cast, composed of six or seven actors and a box of shadow play puppets, can perform more than 30 plays. After the performance is over they can then put all their things into a big box and move on to the next destination.

The equipment is portable, giving shadow plays the advantages of mobility. No matter where they are, in halls, squares, courtyards, or even rooms, so long as the cast can set up the screen and turn on the light box, they can act. In rural areas, there are a lot of shadow play companies, both big and small. During festivals, bountiful harvests or marriages, villagers always invite shadow play companies to come and perform. Some pay for the company to perform for a night while others pay for a couple of weeks. Many villagers will gather to enjoy the show.

The shadow puppets not only act in the play, but can also be used as personal toys and as wall or window decorations. The shadow play puppets are elegant antiques, which provide enjoyment and are worthy of collection.

Many people are curious about how these beautiful shadow play puppets are made. The whole process is: Processing the leather, drawing an outline on the leather, engraving the leather, coloring the leather, ironing the leather, oiling the leather, and finally, sewing into shape and joining it to an iron shaft. Hu explained the technique of engraving, which is the key point in the whole process. He starts with the cap and then the face, first the eyebrows then the eyes and nose, then on to the garment and finally the hair and other details.

The process seems very easy, but nobody can do it well unless they have studied the art diligently and practiced for more than five years.

Now you have chance to watch the play produced by projecting shadows onto a silk screen. After the show, you can go backstage to see how the artists do their work. Seperately, you can also visit a private museum with a collection of over 1,000 shadow puppets and watch the process of making a shadow puppet (which you can take home).

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