More than 2,000 years ago, a favorite wife of Emperor (皇帝)Wu of the Han Dynasty died of illness. The emperor missed her so much that he didn't want to do anything. One day, a minister (大臣）saw children playing with dolls. The shadows on the floor were interesting. The smart minister had an idea. He made a puppet of the favorite wife and painted it. As night fell, he asked the emperor to watch a puppet show behind a curtain. The emperor was very happy and became interested in it. In this way, puppet shows began.

    Shadow puppets were first made of paper, later from the hides of donkeys (驴皮). That's why their Chinese name is pi ying. Shadow puppet plays were very popular during the Tang and Song Dynasties in many parts of China.

    Today, shadow puppet plays face extinction like other traditional art forms such as Nuo Drama. We should do something to protect them. Shadow puppet plays in Shaanxi are the most famous. The Academy Gate Cultural Street in Xi'an is a wonderful place for you to choose shadow puppets. Here you can choose from hundreds of figures (人物）in different sizes and poses (姿势).

    Dragon Dance (舞龙) is a kind of traditional dance in Chinese B culture. It has been spread all over China and to the whole world.

    Traditionally, dragons were made of wood and cloth. However, in the modem times, dragons are much lighter because they are made of lighter materials like plastics. The length (长度) of dragons can be from around 25 to 35 meters for acrobatic(杂技的) models, and up to 50 to 70 meters for the largest parade(游行) styles because people believe that the longer the dragon is, the more luck it will bring. A small organization cannot run a very long dragon because it requires great human power, much money and special skills.

    The Dragon Dance itself began during the Han Dynasty. And it was started by the Chinese who had shown great respect towards the dragon. It was already a popular event during the Song Dynasty. At that time, it became a popular activity like the Lion Dance. People could often see it during some important festivals. In the Qing Dynasty, the Dragon Dance Team of Fuzhou was invited to put on a show in Beijing. And the emperor (黄帝) spoke highly of it. The emperors of ancient China thought themselves as the dragons.