Shadow play (shadow puppetry, shadow theatre), originated in Shaanxi Province, 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.

The stage for shadow puppet is a white cloth screen on which the shadows of flat puppets are projected. Shadow puppet looks similar to paper-cut except that their joints are connected by thread so that they can be operated freely. At the earliest shadow show, the storytellers generally told events between war kingdoms or stories of Buddhist sources. Today, puppets made of leather and moved on sticks are used to tell dramatic versions of traditional fairy tales and myths.

Chinese shadow play dated back to the Western Han Dynasty and was very popular during the Tang, Song and Qing dynasties in China. It was spread by the conquering Mongols to distant countries like Persia, Arabia, and Turkey. Later, it was introduced to other Southeastern Asian countries. At present, more than 20 countries are known to have shadow show troupes.