Xiaoyi shadow play can be divided into two schools, one is shadow play with leather cavity and paper window, and the other is shadow play with Qiang screen window. Leather cavity paper window shadow play has a long history. It is a melody and aria created by folk artists by carving cowhide and donkey skin into plane images of various characters, animals and scenes as props for performance and using local languages and singing methods. It has a unique charm, called leather cavity. It is a kind of vocal art that was born and grew up in filial piety.

The main musical instruments of Piqiang are small suona, sheng and flute, which are called "the art of blowing and singing" by local people. When performing in Piqiang, artists operate Piren and sing with them, and some are accompanied by other artists. Shadow puppeteers are usually more than a foot tall, slightly larger than the Qiang people in Wan Wan, but their carving and modeling are not as fine as those of the Qiang people in Wan Wan.

When the shadow play is staged, the main pole is comfortable to operate the chest and waist of the shadow play person. With hemp paper as the window, that is, the screen, cowhide people stand on the screen, with lights hanging behind the window, and people make various movements with sticks and thick chopsticks several feet long, accompanied by shadow people's dialogue, rap and sparring.

The plays of Piqiang Shadow Play are mainly the Romance of the Gods and the story of The Journey to the West. When performing the whole play, add a little "Taiwan-bashing" scene. There is no singing, and there is little talk in vain, mainly martial arts.