Biandan opera (literally, shoulder pole opera), also known as "Murentou Show", is a puppet show performed by one person. It is said that in the late Qing Dynasty, an artist surnamed Li in Suzhou carried the props and accessories of the puppet opera to perform in Wuyao area (today's Bu Town) in Chongming, where a native Gu Zaizhi worshiped him as a teacher to learn the opera. Later, Gu Zaizhi passed on the puppet performance skills to over ten people, including Zhu Shaoyun. From then on, the puppet show called "Murentou Show" by Chongming locals got to spread on the Chongming Island.

Performed by one person carrying the props and accessories across the countryside, the light and convenient opera is unique in that one person is in charge of the whole opera. The repertoire is mainly martial arts drama with historical themes, which are mainly sung in Jiangnan popular tune and Chongming folk songs and read in Chongming Mandarin.

The props consist of a special high stool and a small stage surrounded by cloth curtain. For the performance, the shoulder pole is inserted into the tenon of the cross rail of the high stool, and the upper end of the shoulder pole is lifted up to the small stage. The artist sits on a high stool under the small stage surrounded by cloth curtain, and his feet hitting the cymbals and gongs between the legs of the stool. He holds up the puppets in his hands to perform in the little stage with singing, reciting, narrating and oral mimicking.

Biandan opera, the only of its kind in China's puppet opera performed by one person, integrates puppet skills and performance skills with the characteristics of spirit, essence, magic and simplicity. It is a living fossil of puppet opera, so to speak, for its the original style, technique and form of the initial period.