shadow play

Shadow play (Chinese: 皮影戏, pí yĭng xì) or shadow puppetry is an ancient form of

storytelling and

entertainment using opaque, often articulated figures in front of an illuminated

backdrop to create the illusion of moving images. It is popular in various cultures. At present, more than 20 countries are known to have shadow show troupes.  Shadow puppets have a long history in Indonesia, China, India, Turkey, and as a popular form of entertainment for both children and adults in many countries around the world. A shadow puppet is a cut-out figure held between a source of light and a translucent screen. Translucent color is sometimes introduced into the cut-out shapes to provide a different look and different effects can be achieved by moving both the puppet and the light source. A talented puppeteer can make the figures walk, dance, fight, nod and laugh