Chinese Shadow Puppetry Hall

皮影戏馆

A different shadow play is performed daily at the shadow puppet theater. It's said that Wuzhen is the only theater in China that still offers daily performances. This wild rose of folk art, steeped in the rich charm of Wuzhen's waterside village, continues to blossom, offering a lasting hope to those interested in traditional folk art.

Attractions Location: No. 184, Changfeng Street, Dongzha, Tongxiang City, Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province

Tickets:
Included in the pass

Opening hours:
Opening hours: 8:00-17:00.
Performance time: Morning show: 9:30-11:00, every 30 minutes; afternoon show: 13:00-15:50, every 30 minutes.

Official phone number: Ticketing Inquiry
0573-88717508; 0573-88731088

Transportation:
You can directly access the Xiuzhen Temple

Time reference: Less than 1 hour


Recommended itinerary for Chinese Shadow Puppetry Hall tours

1-Day Itinerary: WuZhen Chinese Shadow Puppetry Hall & Local Highlights

Spend a day exploring the Shadow Puppetry Hall and enjoying the historic water town of WuZhen, ideal for a short cultural immersion.

  • Morning: WuZhen Chinese Shadow Puppetry Hall – watch traditional shadow puppet performances and explore exhibits. (Transport: Taxi or shuttle bus from Wuzhen East/West Gate, ~5–10 min)
  • Late Morning: Stroll along Dongzha Waterway Area (~5 min walk) – enjoy riverside views, ancient bridges, and historic architecture.
  • Afternoon: Visit West Scenic Zone – explore Xizha Old Town (~10 min taxi or 20 min walk).
  • Evening: Dinner at riverside restaurants featuring local specialties such as Wuzhen river fish, steamed buns, and sugar-coated glutinous rice cakes.

Accommodation/Food: Stay at Xizha or Dongzha boutique hotels. Recommended dishes: river fish, glutinous rice cakes, steamed dumplings.

Souvenirs: Shadow puppets, traditional handicrafts, local snacks, paper-cut artworks.


2-Day Itinerary: Puppetry Hall + Canals & Traditional Streets

Two days allow a deeper exploration of WuZhen’s canals, streets, and cultural experiences beyond the Puppetry Hall.

  • Day 1: Follow 1-day itinerary.
  • Day 2 Morning: Ancient Streets Walking Tour – explore traditional shops, boutique stores, and riverside cafes (~5–15 min walk between spots).
  • Day 2 Afternoon: Visit Wuzhen Wood Carving Museum (~10 min taxi or 20 min walk) – traditional woodcraft exhibitions and workshops.
  • Evening: Optional night river cruise (~15 min from Dongzha area) to view illuminated water town canals.

Accommodation/Food: Stay near Xizha or Dongzha. Recommended dishes: local freshwater fish, steamed buns, sweet glutinous rice desserts.

Souvenirs: Shadow puppets, woodcraft items, tea, local snacks.


3-Day Itinerary: Puppetry Hall + Museums + Villages + Scenic Areas

Three days allow a comprehensive exploration of WuZhen’s cultural sites, museums, and surrounding scenic areas.

  • Days 1–2: Follow 2-day itinerary.
  • Day 3 Morning: Visit Wuzhen Museum of Traditional Crafts (~10 min taxi) – exhibits on silk, embroidery, and local crafts.
  • Day 3 Afternoon: Explore Mingtang Scenic Area (~5–10 min taxi) – enjoy classical gardens, bridges, and canal photography.

Accommodation/Food: Stay in boutique hotels near Dongzha or Xizha. Recommended dishes: river shrimp, bamboo shoots with fish, sweet rice desserts.

Souvenirs: Shadow puppets, embroidered items, silk scarves, local snacks, handmade crafts.


4-Day Itinerary: Puppetry Hall + Canals + Villages + Cultural Streets

Four days provide a mix of traditional arts, canals, scenic villages, and cultural streets in WuZhen.

  • Days 1–3: Follow 3-day itinerary.
  • Day 4 Morning: Visit Silk Weaving Workshop (~10 min taxi) – experience traditional silk weaving techniques.
  • Day 4 Afternoon: Leisure walk along Dongzha & Xizha Waterways – explore alleys, shops, and riverside cafés.

Accommodation/Food: Stay near canals. Recommended dishes: freshwater fish dishes, tea-flavored desserts, local dumplings.

Souvenirs: Silk, shadow puppets, handmade crafts, tea, local pastries.


5-Day Itinerary: Puppetry Hall + Museums + Scenic Canals + Villages + Tea Experience

Five days allow a comprehensive experience combining cultural museums, traditional arts, canals, villages, and tea culture.

  • Days 1–4: Follow 4-day itinerary.
  • Day 5 Morning: Visit Meijiawu Tea Village (~30 min taxi from Wuzhen) – tea plantations, sampling, and cultural experiences.
  • Day 5 Afternoon: Return to Xizha or Dongzha for boat rides and riverside photography (~30 min taxi).

Accommodation/Food: Stay near Xizha or Dongzha. Recommended dishes: tea-infused dishes, river fish, glutinous rice cakes.

Souvenirs: Shadow puppets, silk, tea leaves, handicrafts, local snacks.


6-Day Itinerary: Full WuZhen Cultural & Scenic Exploration

Six days allow a leisurely exploration of WuZhen’s puppetry, museums, canals, villages, tea culture, and traditional workshops.

  • Days 1–5: Follow 5-day itinerary.
  • Day 6 Morning: Visit Wuzhen Paper-Cut Art Center (~10 min taxi or 20 min walk) – explore traditional paper-cutting techniques and exhibitions.
  • Day 6 Afternoon: Leisure time along Xizha East Scenic Area – photography, shopping, and café stops.

Accommodation/Food: Stay near Xizha or Dongzha. Recommended dishes: river shrimp, local pastries, tea-flavored desserts.

Souvenirs: Shadow puppets, paper-cut artworks, silk, tea, handicrafts, local snacks.


7-Day Itinerary: Complete WuZhen Immersion

A full week allows visiting WuZhen Chinese Shadow Puppetry Hall, museums, scenic canals, villages, cultural streets, and tea plantations at a relaxed pace.

  • Days 1–6: Follow 6-day itinerary.
  • Day 7 Morning: Optional revisit to Shadow Puppetry Hall for workshops or final show (~5–10 min walk from hotel).
  • Day 7 Afternoon: Stroll along Dongzha & Xizha waterways for final souvenir shopping and light meals before departure.

Accommodation/Food: Stay near canals for convenience. Recommended dishes: river fish, bamboo shoot dishes, glutinous rice desserts, local snacks.

Souvenirs: Shadow puppets, silk, paper-cut artworks, tea, handmade crafts, local snacks, riverside-themed gifts.


User Reviews

By Shrine |

Outside the east side of Dongzha, next to Xiuzhen Temple, the shadow puppet show is actually quite interesting, and it has climaxes and highlights. They stay behind the scenes and perform every shadow puppet show for us seriously. After the performance, they still stay behind the scenes to quietly pack up the shadow puppets and prepare for the next one. If you think it's okay, please give them some applause at the end of their performance, even if no one applauds them.

By Ariel |

It was very interesting. The play was "Havoc in the Dragon Palace". Many children watched it with great interest.

By My dearest you |

That year, you and I performed the shadow play, Liang Zhu turning into butterflies, can you please do that?

By noob |

Outside the scenic area, joint tickets are available. The performance is 10 minutes long and features Sun Wukong fighting the Four Dragon Kings. There are subtitles and good reviews.

By Yuyu |

The performers of shadow puppetry are mostly veteran artists, wearing Tang Dynasty costumes and long jackets, and have quite artistic style.

Because we arrived late, I had no idea what the dance was about. But the shadow puppets danced up and down, looking incredibly lifelike. My friend and I even went backstage to watch. It's truly a truly exquisite art form.

By Shushike |

It's a wonderful example of traditional culture. I watched it for about five minutes. It was about the story of Sun Wukong and the Four Dragon Kings. Afterward, I went backstage to see a few elderly people in their 50s and 60s performing it, very expertly.

By Ms. Q |

The shadow puppet theater is located inside the Hanlin Mansion. Performances are scheduled every half hour and are free. There are several rows of benches in the auditorium. When we arrived, it was about ten minutes before the show started and we got a front row seat. Later, we realized there were only a few people watching. Nevertheless, it's a must-see. The performance depicts the story from "Journey to the West" where Sun Wukong asks Princess Iron Fan to borrow the palm-leaf fan. It's a fantastic show! Kudos to the artists behind the scenes for their hard work!

By Little Bad Guy 36 |

Shadow puppetry is still very interesting.

By Mars User |

I like watching shadow puppetry. It seems that Chengdu and Xi'an also have shadow puppetry.

By Border War Smoke |

This must be praised. The shadow play I usually see on TV is so boring. I found it very different from the one on TV when I got there. I pay tribute to the master who truly sticks to traditional Chinese art.

By SpongeBob SquarePants |

It's very impressive. It's not easy to see the old artist for the first time.

By Go your own way |

Jiangnan characteristics, if you are tired of walking, it is also very pleasant to sit quietly and watch the shadow play for a while

By Sunny |

The shadow play is held in Hanlin Academy, which is connected to the Xiuzhen Temple. Each show lasts about 20 minutes, with three shows in the morning and three in the afternoon. I'm not sure if the content is the same; the one I saw was about Sun Wukong fighting the Four Dragon Kings.

By Mood |

Originating in northern China during the Northern Song Dynasty, it spread to the Jiangnan region during the Southern Song. With a history of over 800 years in Jiangnan, Wuzhen shadow puppetry belongs to the Southern school. The presence of shadow puppetry in shadow puppet theaters may not only be a lingering nostalgia for the past by veteran artists, but also a return to and a yearning for a more pristine lifestyle.

By Sadako |

It looks beautiful, but I don't know what it says and I can't understand it. There are still many people watching it.

By Inexplicable Little Flying Pig |

It was my first time watching a shadow play and I was deeply attracted. I couldn't take my eyes off the story behind the curtain. It was worth it.

By adar |

The preserved folk art is worth exploring!

By Arangy |

I've only seen shadow puppets on TV, and they actually look like that!

By Small fish. |

Folk art like shadow puppetry is not available everywhere, so how can we miss it now that it exists?

By Thousand-lala |

Jiangnan characteristics, if you are tired of walking, it is also very pleasant to sit quietly and watch the shadow play for a while

By Heart is far away |

Beautiful, historical and cultural heritage, now rare.

By sunshine dingding |

It is worth going here, where you can experience the past life of Wuzhen

By Annoyed little deer |

Shadow puppetry, also known as "shadow play" or "lantern shadow play," is a folk opera that uses silhouettes of characters made from animal hides or cardboard to tell stories. It's a major attraction in Wuzhen. After a day of strolling around, it's a great opportunity to quietly watch a shadow play at night and reminisce about our culture.

By Xie Banxianer |

Bring your children to watch it, adults will also find it interesting, but there are not many shows

By skyweixin |

A childhood memory, shadow puppetry. Very good.

By Schrödinger's Cat |

I visit Wuzhen every year for a relaxing break, and I've been there no fewer than five times. I've stayed at waterfront guesthouses twice, but the overall value wasn't great. The rest of the time, I've stayed at Zhaoming Shushe, a very affordable hotel that usually requires booking a month in advance. It's a quiet and elegant retreat nestled in the city. The Shusheng mutton stall in the alleyway is absolutely amazing—a must-try in autumn and winter. I've visited all of Wuzhen's attractions more than a dozen times, most recently with my 50D and 1740 lens. Feel free to ask me any questions.

By YY |

You can see the legendary shadow play, which is a classic.

By Laughing at the World |

It has local characteristics and the local dialect is not understandable. You can go and experience it.

By 3721gsy |

Shadow puppetry, also known as "shadow play" or "local film," originated in northern China during the Northern Song Dynasty and spread to the Jiangnan region during the Southern Song. With a history of over 800 years in Jiangnan, Wuzhen's shadow puppetry belongs to the southern tradition. The presence of shadow puppetry in shadow puppet theaters may not only reflect a deep nostalgia for the past by veteran artists, but also a return to and a yearning for a more pristine lifestyle.

By Dragon King Online |

I was walking and passed by it accidentally. If there weren't so many people around, I would have missed it.

By teaaet |

I went to see a shadow play. There were so many people, but it was great! It was the first time in my life that I saw a live shadow play performance!

By Poetry |

Outside the Dongzha Scenic Area, you need to walk out of the scenic area and use the ticket of the day to enter. When we were in Dongzha, the staff told us that we could not go out and there were no attractions outside. As a result, the next day we accidentally walked in and could not get in! The ticket checking guy was really principled. There were only two people inside and he refused to let us go in to take a look.

By OrangeZhang |

Very interesting, rarely seen nowadays.

By Sakuraishita |

The shadow puppet theater is next to the entrance of Dongzha Scenic Area. To watch the shadow puppet show, you have to leave the scenic area and tell the security guard to change your ultraviolet stamp, otherwise you will not be able to enter the scenic area again.

By coffee English |

I watched a shadow play here, but I couldn't quite understand what they were saying.

By Small islands |

This is kind of fun, but the dubbing is incomprehensible.

By ♡o︵lsmin︵o♡ |

It's very interesting. Although I don't understand what they are saying, I can understand it by watching the plot. I found it very interesting when I watched it for the first time! I even took a video~

By Philo |

I didn't see any shadow puppetry performances, but I'm still unfamiliar with shadow puppetry.

By Bing Ning |

I stood at the door and watched for a while, but I couldn't understand what they were saying. This is the so-called language barrier. It was too hot so I didn't finish watching it. I think you can go and experience it.

By 🌟Ingot🌟 |

It was my first time to watch a shadow play. I was so excited. Although I didn’t understand what they were singing, I loved it.

By Monkey |

Very unique! There were no visitors 15 minutes before the show started. I went to wash my hands and the seats were full, so I had to stand... It was already full before the show started! I went there in the off-season of winter~~ Although I couldn't understand a word, I still thought it was very good~ I hope this kind of folk art can be preserved

By dyklhxb |

It's very unique, especially suitable for taking children to watch.

By Cat bones |

The location is outside the Dongzha Scenic Area. You need to go out first and then swipe your ticket to enter the scenic area. The shadow play is very interesting, but you have to catch the right time. You will definitely not be able to watch it if you join a tour group. They will not let you wait for the time...

By Warm |

I passed by the shadow puppet theater, but it was not show time, what a pity

By An Chezai |

What you are watching is not a shadow play, but a feeling.

By lxq502 |

It looks just like it did in ancient times, very simple, and I can't understand what is being said, so I just take a look.

By sherry. |

I don't know much about this, I just took a picture and thought it was beautiful.

By Listen to the Wind |

It was a very interesting experience. I was able to quietly go behind the scenes and see how the shadow puppet show was performed.

By Mrs Zhang |

It's similar to the shadow play in Xi'an's Datangxi Market, and it feels average.

By Rain Shatters Jiangnan |

As an ancient art, you won't be disappointed if you come here to see shadow puppetry.

By cicada |

This is a recommended place to experience the town’s cultural heritage. There are performances every hour.

By Vine Fairy |

The show was a loop, but there were still a lot of people. I stood outside the door and listened to one show. If you are interested, you can wait in advance to reserve a seat.

By Longing for love in the quiet night |

The shadow puppetry theater in Wuzhen Dongzha inherits traditional Chinese culture. It is located next to Hanlin House and the shadow puppetry performances are still performed every day.

By Ace of Spades |

Wuzhen's shadow puppetry is very famous. You need to reserve a seat half an hour in advance to watch the show.

By My Chen Mo Winter |

It takes about half an hour to perform a play. It is relatively simple, but the old men who perform shadow puppetry are very interesting.

By Little Bear |

Ten minutes per show, and five minutes per show, very fast~~~

By Small |

Traditional art is worth seeing and won’t take up too much time.

By Shallow Time |

I have loved shadow puppetry since I was a child, and I can learn more about it in this exhibition hall.

By Joyful Swords and Howling Rain |

Wuzhen shadow puppetry has retained its original essence. Each puppet is supported by at least five bamboo sticks. The performers must not only be flexible with their hands, but also rap with their mouths and nimble with their feet, even playing the foot drum. Truly a multi-talented individual. The shadow puppetry screen is made of a one-square-meter piece of white gauze. During the performance, several people methodically operate the puppets before this narrow piece of gauze. This level of rapport is impossible without long-term training. Shadow puppetry has been shown abroad numerous times and is deeply loved, earning it the affectionate nickname "One-Pack-Carrying Art."

By Small Pavilion |

I was the only audience member when I went there, but I still watched the whole show.

By 7-Up |

Just take a look at it, it won't be a big pity if you miss it.

By Janet |

The shadow play was very short and was performed in the local language. To be honest, I didn't understand a word, but it was still very interesting.

By psyluo |

It shows the history of shadow puppetry, which is quite interesting. There are many shadow puppetry props.

By Seattle Seahawks |

Nowadays, there are fewer and fewer shadow puppetry craftsmen.

By Ha Cheng |

The cost is included in the outside ticket, but it is often crowded and you need to find a seat in advance.

By Tiantian~ |

It feels like a cultural heritage. If you like tradition, it is worth a visit. You will always feel like you are traveling through time when you come to Wuzhen.

By Ren Aiyue Wuhen |

Wuzhen's shadow puppet theater is located outside the Dongzha Scenic Area, making it easy to miss. When I visited, a shadow puppet show was in progress, and many tourists with children were seated to watch. Although I couldn't understand the singing, I could get the general meaning; it was an excerpt from Journey to the West.

By Little good boy |

Watching shadow puppetry is quite interesting. The little puppet figures are lifelike and vivid, and coupled with the lines and accompaniment, the scene feels great.

By Who is right and who is wrong |

It was the intermission of the shadow play when I went there, so I regretted not being able to see it outside the Dongzha Scenic Area.

By momolynn |

Shadow puppetry is a specialty of Jiangnan. There are various related introductions in the shadow puppetry museum, which is worth going in to see.

By Anne |

It was my first time to watch a real shadow play live. The veteran artists sang very hard. Although I didn’t understand what they meant, I was very moved by the enthusiastic expressions on their faces.

By Bing Dier |

It rained that day, but I still managed to catch a shadow play performance, which was really great. I risked being late to watch it.

By Shiny |

Wuzhen Shadow Play, there are many people, it is very interesting, there are performances on a regular basis, simple long benches,

By Also missing |

The performance that day was supposedly Monkey King's Havoc in the Dragon Palace. It was short, only eight minutes, but it was a novelty. Aside from the gongs and drums, there were only two elderly puppeteers busy at work, raising concerns about the legacy of shadow puppetry. Every scene might be a lost cause.

By Mumudai American purchasing agent |

I didn't understand the dialect performance, but this traditional performance is still worth watching, especially for parents with children. I really need to explain it. As a girl who grew up abroad, I was confused.


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