Zhejiang China Travel Guide

Shadow Play, China Culture

Shadow play is also known as leather-silhouette show. It is a traditional folk art. The making of the stage props of shadow play is the following: handicraftsmen cut processed goat hide or ox hide in to human or animal models like paper-cut, then the performers use pointed bamboo slips to stick the models on the back of the white cloth screen (with light cast upon) and play the stories.

Shadow Play

Originated in the Spring and Autumn Period (BC 770-476), the shadow play was introduced to the royal palace in the Western Han Dynasty (BC206-AD23). In the Tang Dynasty (618-967), the workmanship of the shadow play prop became more exquisite and delicate. By the Song Dynasty (960-1279), it became a formal opera and was listed in the so-called "hundred operas". That period witnessed the great prosperity of shadow play, and many Song books mentioned about this folk art. The rise of Zhejiangs shadow play was connected with the removal of the Song Court to Zhejiangs Hangzhou City in the year 1127. During that time, a lot of artists and craftsmen moved from the North to the South with the royal court. With the combination of the North techniques with the South culture, the shadow play was very popular in Zhejiang.

The themes of Chinese shadow play are mostly historical stories and legendary, such as "the Monkey King fighting against the Ox King","Outlaws of the Marsh","A Tale of General Yue Fei","Female Warrior Fan Lihua" and "Apotheosis of Heroes".In the old times, in the festivals and occasions of celebrations, shadow play always played an important role and it was one of the major entertainment forms. Today, people can hardly have a chance to appreciate this ancient folk art. But Wuzhen Town still remains the performance of shadow play.