What animal's skin is the skin in shadow play?

Qinchuan cowhide was used in shadow play in hua county, donkey skin was used in shadow play in Tangshan and Hebei, and sheepskin selected from Zhejiang was used in early shadow play. There are also places where pigskin is used for shadow play. Among them, the toughness and light transmittance of cowhide are the most widely used.

Chinese shadow play is a form of drama, with colored shadow play made of leather or paper accompanied by music and singing. Shadow puppets are manipulated by shadow puppets with wooden poles behind the scenes, and dynamic images are created by illuminating translucent curtains with light. Many old artists can perform dozens of traditional plays, some of which are handed down orally and some are presented in written form. Shadow play actors have unique skills, such as improvisation, voice conversion between true and false, one person manipulating several puppets at the same time and playing different musical instruments. Many shadow puppeteers also carve shadow puppets. These puppeteers have 12 to 24 movable joints. A large troupe of seven to nine people or a small troupe of only two to five people can perform shadow play, mainly on special occasions such as entertainment or religious ceremonies, weddings and funerals. Some shadow puppeteers are professionals and some are amateurs. They only perform in the off-season. The related skills of shadow play are passed down through family, troupe or mentoring. Chinese shadow play conveys information such as cultural history, social beliefs, oral traditions, local conditions and customs. It spreads knowledge, promotes cultural values and brings joy to the community, especially young people.

Hua county, located in the east of Guanzhong, Shaanxi Province, is the birthplace of Chinese shadow play. The official international name of Chinese shadow play is Hua Opera, which means Hua County Shadow Play. The production of shadow play is generally divided into eight steps: skin selection, skin making, draft drawing, draft transmission, lettering, painting, sweating, ironing and knotting.