Silhouette puppet show is popular in northern China, up and down the entire length of Yellow River. The puppets are made out of animal skin (long before the invention of plastic), and are transparent to light. The puppet image is projected onto a screen (or a thin curtain) by background lighting. Vividly painted, these puppets retell famous historical events or fairy tells of long tradition. A sample of such a puppet image is shown below.

Puppet shows in the villages are performed by traveling troupes, who make their tour of the countryside regularly, and perform by setting up temporary tents. Usually invited and paid for by the villages collectively and villagers who attend the performance do not need to pay for attendance individually, but they must bring their own chairs if they want to be seated.

Puppets are made out of different types of animal skin. Some craftsmen use fish skin to make the puppets in order to achieve the transparent effect, while others use thin sheepskin, donkey skin, or cattle skin to obtain the same effect. In addition to the visual effect, the sound effect is also important. These performances are spoken in the local dialect and sung in the local opera style. The performers are not only skillful puppeteers, but also accomplished opera singers.