The origins of shadow puppet theater can be traced to the Western Han Dynasty some 1,800 years ago when Emperor Wu's favorite consort died.
相傳它起源於西漢，是當時的術士李少翁為了安慰漢武帝對亡妃李夫人思念情切，特別發明的把戲。晉朝人於寶所撰的「搜神記」一書中，記載著說：「故老相承，言影戲之原，出於漢武帝李夫人之亡。