Chinese leather silhouette show, also known as Pi Ying Xi or shadow play, has been around for thousands of years. Characters are cut from leather and the silhouettes of these characters are reflected on a white cloth. Performers behind the scene control the silhouette, making them do a variety of things like walking, dancing. This show is accompanied by music and songs.

There are different kinds of Chinese leather silhouette shows but some of the most popular are the show from donkey leather in Tangshen in Hebei Province and the show from ox leather in northwest China. These two shadow plays are renowned for their music and exquisite cut of the characters.

The origin of Chinese leather silhouette show is both beautiful and sad. During the Han Dynasty, Liu Zhe, Emperor Wu, was fond of all types of entertainment and he kept many artists in his palace for the sole purpose of entertaining him and his guests. Among the artists was Li Yannian, who was good in playing different kinds of musical instruments and improvising songs.

One day the King Quizi, a tribe from northwest of China, came to pay homage to Liu Zhe. During the banquet, Li Yannian sang about an exceedingly beautiful woman. The people were mesmerized by the song and were completely taken up by it. Then people reported to the emperor that Li Yannian had an extremely beautiful sister, who could compete with the beauty depicted in Li Yannian's song. On hearing this, the emperor summoned the sister and immediately fell in love with her.

The sister became the emperor's concubine and a year later, she gave birth to a baby boy. However, soon after, the sister fell ill and when the emperor came to visit her, she hid her face with a quilt as the illness had robbed her off her good looks. She asked the emperor to leave her room and soon after that she died.

Heartbroken, the emperor summoned a necromancer to call the spirit of his beloved concubine. However, the necromancer could not fulfill this wish. He was worried about the emperor's wrath and later in the evening as he was pacing in his room with worry, he saw his shadow reflected on the wall. Suddenly an idea hit him and he took the concubine's portrait and cut a life-like silhouette using a piece of leather. He then colored it and after that invited Emperor Wu to the room. One entering, the emperor saw the silhouette of his concubine coming up slowly and kneeling down with respect. As the emperor tried to approach the silhouette, the necromancer stopped him saying that the spirit needed a respectful distance.

This led to the start of the famous Chinese leather silhouette show as the art form was passed down from descendents of the necromancer.