Stories in the Shadows

Shadow puppetry is a folk art, which has captured the heart of generations of Chinese since the West Han Dynasty. With storytelling and entertainment, it includes cutting hard paper into figures and using them in a performance in front of a backdrop to create the moving images. Shadow play is the ancestor of films. At that time, it brought people pleasure as movies and TV do today. It allows artists to let their imagination fly, and make wild stories come to life on the backdrop. From legendary monsters to historic events and detective stories to romances, any play could be performed in the form of shadow puppetry. The origin of shadow puppetry is about a love story. When Lady Li, a beloved wife of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, died of illness, the emperor was extremely sad. One of his ministers once saw a child playing with a doll, the shadow of which seemed lifelike. Inspired, the minister returned home and made a figure of Lady Li using cotton and silk, and placed sticks on the figure’s hands and feet to make it easy to operate. When night came, he put up a curtain, lit a candle, and invited the emperor to sit before the curtain. The minister operated the figure behind the curtain. The emperor felt as if he was seeing Lady Li again and was very happy. Then shadow puppetry became the emperor’s favorite pastime. With the changing shadows on the backdrop, beautiful or intense music, attractive stories and light effects, shadow puppetry can be shocking and amazing.