Shadow puppetry （皮影戏）started during the Western Han Dynasty and it has a long history of more than 2, 000 years. It used to be popular in the countryside because it was simple and cheap.
The puppets are usually made from leather （皮革）or paper. It is hard to make them. The puppet-makers have to take 24 steps, which include washing the leather, carving （雕刻） and painting, to make a puppet.
Just like many things that are in danger, traditional arts also face the risk of disappearing. "Many young people still think that shadow puppetry is an old-fashioned folk art, " said Liu Chaokan, the sixth-generation inheritor （继承人）of shadow puppetry in Yunnan province.
Liu understands why old art forms couldn't interest young people, so he connects new stories with the traditional forn of storytelling. In a recent show based on the ancient Chinese novel Journey to the West, Baigujing dances to a Korean pop song. Popular Chinese cartoon characters, together with the modem factors （元素）, are Liu's secret in getting the attention of children. "Since they couldn't understand those old stories, why don't we show them the cartoon characters they love in shadow puppetry shows?" said Liu.
To keep the old art forever young, Liu thinks they should respect （尊重）its traditions and protect the basic of the art.
