Jin Zhengxin
Mastery, Signature Works & Repertoire
From childhood he loved listening to stories and telling them. He was discovered in 1986 during the survey for the compilation of the three major series of folk literature, and by the eleventh survey in 2004 he had told more than eight hundred stories, among them no small number of medium- and long-length pieces exceeding 5,000 characters, making him the most prolific storyteller among the raconteurs of Gengcun. The content and themes of his stories are wide-ranging, covering mythology, legends of historical figures, local scenery and customs, and tales of plants and animals. In telling, he mixes dialect with written language, interspersing the set formulas of the pinghua storytelling tradition, poems, and doggerel rhymes. His expression is grave and he makes little use of gesture, which lends his performances a quality of solemn dignity. The aesthetic outlook, values, and distinctive educational and entertainment functions expressed in Jin Zhengxin's stories carry positive practical significance for enriching the cultural life of the people and for building a harmonious society. His collection One Hundred Tales of Jin Zhengxin has now been published; his representative works include The Clay Pot and The Legend of Yu Xiaohu.
Honors & Recognition
Male, of the Han ethnic group, born in 1927 and deceased in 2009, a native of Gaocheng, Hebei. A national representative bearer of the Gengcun Folk Tales, a first-batch national intangible cultural heritage project. In 1998, he was awarded the title of "One of China's Ten Great Folk Storytellers" by UNESCO and the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles.
References & Archival Sources
Representative Items of This Bearer
- Gengcun Folk Tales Ⅰ-14
Profile
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