Uploaded September 2010 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
To read the entire story about Layang Pian, or Xiyang Jian, the ancient art of the Chinese peep show, go to holeinthedonut.com/2010/09/20/china-culture-old-shanghai-peep-show/, and if you enjoyed this video, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel.
Nearly lost to posterity, Chinese peep shows are performed in Old Shanghai, China, by Weitan Shi, the only artist still studying this ancient art form. Layang Pian, or Xiyang Jian as the art is more commonly known, roughly translates to "pulling foreign picture cards," which refers to a set of theatrical scene pictures which the showman could set into a viewing position by pulling a string. Sometimes he would perform with puppets or pictures outside the box and then charge people extra to look through the holes.
To read the entire story about Layang Pian, or Xiyang Jian, the ancient art of the Chinese peep show, go to holeinthedonut.com/2010/09/20/china-culture-old-shanghai-peep-show/, and if you enjoyed this video, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel.
Nearly lost to posterity, Chinese peep shows are performed in Old Shanghai, China, by Weitan Shi, the only artist still studying this ancient art form. Layang Pian, or Xiyang Jian as the art is more commonly known, roughly translates to "pulling foreign picture cards," which refers to a set of theatrical scene pictures which the showman could set into a viewing position by pulling a string. Sometimes he would perform with puppets or pictures outside the box and then charge people extra to look through the holes.
