Dingbian Daoqing Shadow Play is a general term for shadow play and Daoqing songs, and is mainly spread in Dingbian County, Shaanxi Province. The structure of Dingbian Daoqing Shadow Play is divided into singing, dialogue and string play. Singing is the Daoqing singing style, which includes Kaiban Suizi, Guanyin Manban, Guanyin Jianban, Shangyin Manban, Shangyin Jianban, Huanyangban, Qisiban, Shangyin Jiulianhua, Guanyin Jiulianhua, Shangyin Bodhisattva Ji, etc. The ending of each singing style is "Mahuang" (the accompaniment band sings "Mahuang" with "ah, ah" as the background words), generally one "Mahuang" for two sentences. The dialogue is mainly in Dingbian dialect. String play is also called "front desk", which means operating the shadow puppet (commonly known as "leather doll") to perform. Dingbian Daoqing Shadow Play is a comprehensive art form of Han opera that combines shadow play performance (playing with strings) with Daoqing singing. The repertoire of Dingbian Daoqing Shadow Play is mainly historical dramas. Traditional repertoires include "Dividing Palace Tower", "Mirror of Heaven and Earth", "Black Knife", "Zhaojun and the Barbarians", "Embroidered Dragon Robe", etc. The performance content mainly describes "0 ministers harm loyal and good people, and husbands look for girls". Dingbian Daoqing Shadow Play is deeply loved by the masses for its high-pitched, passionate, tactful, lively and infectious power. It is the second batch of intangible cultural heritage protection projects in Shaanxi Province. There are different folk legends about when shadow play art originated. Dingbian Daoqing Shadow Play worships the naked "Prince Zhuang". It is impossible to verify who "Prince Zhuang" is. According to research, shadow play originated before the Han Dynasty. There is a poem describing the performance of shadow play in "Haiyang Zhuzhici": "The lights are lit and the tunes are renewed. Looking back at the bag, I know it is realistic; the steps are steady and the lady Li is alive in front of the tent." This is the initial stage of shadow play, and the heyday was in the Tang Dynasty. The shadow play was beautiful in shape and the performance technology was mature. There were shadow play performances in the Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. According to the legend of the artists, shadow play existed in the Sui Dynasty, and it was called "military play" at that time. Dingbian Daoqing shadow play was most popular in the Baiyu Mountain area of Dingbian County around the end of the Qing Dynasty. The reasons for its popularity are: first, the mountain is deep and remote, far away from the county town, so shadow play and mountain songs are the only cultural entertainment form for local farmers; second, due to the inconvenient transportation in the mountainous area, there are no other side jobs during the slack season, so shadow play artists and shadow play clubs were born, becoming a livelihood choice for mountain people and have been passed down to this day; third, due to the needs of temple fairs, sacrifices, family vows, and red and white events, shadow play is popular for its efficient personnel, convenient boxes, economical entertainment, and lively Daoqing; fourth, it is convenient to obtain materials for shadow play and musical instruments. Dingbian Daoqing shadow play was popular from the end of the Qing Dynasty to the 1950s. There were six shadow play clubs in the Baiyu Mountain area, scattered in Jiyuan, Fengdikeng, Luopangyuan and other places, mainly active in the mountainous area and Yanchi, Ningxia, and Etuoke Front Banner, Inner Mongolia. After Dingbian was liberated in 1936, the Party attached great importance to the shadow puppetry of Daoqingqu. In 1943, the Dingbian Art Troupe held a training course for the shadow puppetry of Daoqingqu. At the same time, it hired the folk artist Gao Zhongyuan to the art troupe to carve modern drama shadow puppet characters, innovate Daoqing shadow puppetry, and create and perform such plays as "Brother and Sister Reclaiming the Land", "Everyone is Happy", "Couple Learns to Read", and "Three Generations of Revenge". In 1956, the "Xinhua Shadow Puppet Society" of Zhang Kongxian Township Office was selected by the county and the region to go to Xi'an to participate in the first Shaanxi Province Art Festival, which was well received by the masses. Daoqing shadow puppetry basically stopped during the Cultural Revolution. After the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee, the Dingbian shadow puppetry and Daoqingqu team became active again. Dingbian Daoqing shadow puppetry has a history of more than 100 years. In the long river of history, Dingbian Daoqing shadow puppetry has been loved by the majority of working people for its convenience, artistry and regionality. 1. Convenience. With few people, four people can perform a 3-4 hour drama; with few boxes, two boxes can form a troupe; it is easy to operate, just set up the beam, pull the rope, hang the shadow puppets and musical instruments, and you can start the performance; the venue is small, cave dwellings and courtyards can be used as performance venues; ordinary families can afford to invite guests when they have something to do. 2. Artistry. The shadow puppets are skillfully made, painted, carved, and connected, and they are not real people, but better than real people, handsome and generous, exaggerated, and finely engraved. With high craftsmanship, the shadow puppets are lifelike and vivid in the hands of the string players, and their every move is fascinating. Close distance: the performers and the audience are almost together, which makes it easy to exchange ideas and resonate. It is unique, and the characters and performances in the shadow play are highly artistic, and some actions and special scenes cannot be shown on the stage. Its Taoist music is high-pitched, passionate, gentle, lively and infectious, especially the hemp reed is very special. 3. Regionality. Dingbian Daoqing Shadow Play is located in the marginal area and belongs to the marginal culture with distinct characteristics. On the other hand, Dingbian Daoqing Shadow Play is native to this place and has deep feelings for the local people. It is closely related to the local culture and is intricately intertwined with the local cultural life. At the same time, Dingbian Daoqing Shadow Play is a traditional cultural phenomenon and art form here with a long history and is irreplaceable. Dingbian Daoqing Shadow Play includes both the singing of Daoqing and the production and performance of shadow puppets. It can be said that it integrates many arts and therefore has extensive research value. It is the second batch of intangible cultural heritage protection projects in Shaanxi Province.