Shadow play originated in hua county (Guhuafu) of Shaanxi Province in the Western Han Dynasty, with a history of more than 2,000 years. It is the earliest art of moving shadow play in the world. Some people think that shadow play is the modern "ancestor of movies".

Now it is popular in Shaanxi, Shanxi and almost all over the country.

Due to the wide spread of shadow play in China, different schools have been formed in the long-term evolution of different regions, such as Sichuan shadow play, Hubei shadow play, Hunan shadow play, Beijing shadow play, Tangshan shadow play, Shandong shadow play, Shanxi shadow play, Qinghai shadow play, Ningxia shadow play, Shaanxi shadow play, and local shadow play with different styles [3]. The musical vocals and rhythms of shadow play around the country absorbed the essence of local opera, folk art, folk songs and minor music system, and formed many colorful schools. There are Mianyang Shadow Play, Tangshan Shadow Play, Jinan Shadow Play, Xiaoyi Shadow Play, Fuzhou Shadow Play, Haining Shadow Play, Jianghan Plain Shadow Play, Lufeng Shadow Play, Huaxian Shadow Play, Huayin Time-honored Brand, Agong Shadow Play, Xianban Shadow Play, Huanxian Taoist Shadow Play, Lingyuan Shadow Play and so on.

Among all kinds of shadow play schools in Qin, Jin and Yu, there are more than ten kinds, such as Silban tune, Agong tune, Qiang tune, old tune, Qin tune, North-South tune, Ankang Yuetune, Shang-Dao tune and Blowing tune. Harmony, auxiliary voice and nasal rhyme are also commonly used when singing, which is melodious and very beautiful.

Although the voices of shadow play in Hebei, Beijing, Northeast China and Shandong all originated from Laoting in Luanzhou, East Hebei, their respective voices were nourished by Peking Opera, gongs and drums, bangzi and folk songs, forming different schools. Smooth flat tones, gorgeous and gorgeous tones, and sad and sad tones are all available. Among them, the choking singing method in Luanhe River area in Tang Dynasty is very unique.

In other places, such as Hunan, Hubei, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian and other places, shadow play music and singing also have local characteristics.