China is the hometown of the shadow play. The Chinese leather shadow
play is an ancient and widespread form of folk opera art. Over the past
thousand years, folk artists have been casting leather puppets' shadows
on a small white curtain while singing and dancing behind it, depicting
the ups and downs of the life of the Chinese people.

lntroduction/1
Shadow Play Ferformancc /19
Fuppct Designs in the Western Shadow Flag / 33
Sets / 34
Whole Puppets / 44
Puppet Heads of Dan Characters / 46
Puppet Heads ofShen8 Characters /48
Puppet Heads of/in8 Characters / 51
Puppet Heads of Chou Characters / S6
Deities and Spirits / 58
FUppet: Designs in
the Nortshern Shac]ow Play / 65
Whole Puppets / 66
Puppet Heads of Dan Characters / 84
Puppet Heads ofShen8 Characters/94
Puppet Heads oflin8 Characters / 106
Puppet Heads of (boo Characters / 114
Puppet Heads of Evil Characters / 116
Deities and Spirits / 120
Puppet Designs in the Central
anti Southern Shadow Plau / 1Z7
Whole Puppets / 128
Puppet Heads / 132
Other .Shadow
Plau Designs / 135
Auspicious Animals / 136
Furniture Designs / 140
Shadow Plags in the 196os
and 1970s /151