Ye Zhaochen

01 · Lineage & Regional School

Ye Zhaochen, Male, Han, from Fuzhou, Fujian, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Fuzhou Storytelling (Ⅴ-3). The tradition is documented in Fuzhou, Fujian. Within the regional tradition and school record of Fuzhou Storytelling in Fuzhou, Fujian: The vocal forms of Fuzhou pinghua are divided into three categories: the prelude, the chant and the plaint. Fuzhou pinghua has a large number of programmes, which by theme are usually divided into five kinds: long solution books, short solution books, half-length and length books, case books and family books. Fuzhou pinghua is generally held to have formed in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties; according to legend it was handed down when Ju Fuchen, the senior disciple of Liu Jingting, went to Shuangmenlou in Fuzhou to teach apprentices. Judging from the surviving Fuzhou pinghua printed editions of the Yongzheng and Qianlong reigns of the Qing dynasty, such as the Qixing Baizhima, Fuzhou pinghua was already very flourishing at that time.

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

The bearer record for Ye Zhaochen is anchored in the documented technical standards of Fuzhou Storytelling in Fuzhou, Fujian. Within the documented technical tradition of Fuzhou Storytelling in Fuzhou, Fujian: Fuzhou pinghua is a distinctive form of storytelling narrated in the Fuzhou dialect in which sung passages in the tugong plain-chant style are interspersed with the narration; it is popular in a dozen or more counties and cities of Fujian Province, including Fuzhou, Minhou, Yongtai, Changle, Lianjiang, Fuqing and Minqing, as well as in Taiwan Province and in the settlements of Fuzhou origin in Southeast Asia. The prelude is used to narrate the short passage of praise that comes before the main text, resembling the "entering words" of ancient storytelling. The chant is the basic vocal style; it may be used to carry the narration, and may also express a character's inner monologue and the dialogue between characters, and its melodies include [Gaoshan Liushui], [Langtaosha], [Lianzhu], [Didijin] and [Leiju]. The plaint is strongly musical and is used when a character reveals his own background or voices his grievances, and during the singing it is accompanied by chopsticks struck on a bronze cymbal. In addition, some folk tunes are also employed in combination with the story, such as [New Year Song], [Zhen Wuzi], [Thirty-six Calls] and [Five-character Refrain]. The long solution books are historical stories, such as Three Kingdoms, Sui and Tang and The Story of the Loyal Yue Fei; the short solution books are chivalric stories, such as The Seven Heroes and Five Gallants, The Peng Gong Case and The Shi Gong Case; the half-length and length books include Water Margin; the case books tell exclusively of upright officials pleading for the people, righting wrongs and deciding cases, which is unique to Fuzhou pinghua and rich in local colour, and The Eighteen Judgments of Lord Wang, The Pearl Quilt and The Eighteen Lives of Changtai are representative works of that class; and the family books mostly reflect family ethics and the joys and sorrows of separation and reunion, such as Gan Guobao, Twin Jade Cicadas and The Jade Bat. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Fuzhou pinghua created and performed new programmes such as Nine Lives of Injustice, Song of Flowing Water, Spring and Autumn of a Small Town and Defending Yan'an, which achieved a certain influence. Judging from the form of its accompanying instruments, the manner of its chanting performance, the unique genres of its text and the traditional themes of its repertoire, Fuzhou pinghua possesses very significant historical and cultural value, and is called the "living fossil" of ancient quyi. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Prelude, chant and plaint": The three vocal categories of Fuzhou pinghua: the opening prelude, the basic chant with its named melodies, and the plaint, struck with chopsticks on a bronze cymbal. "The five tale classes": The five thematic classes of Fuzhou pinghua, from historical and chivalric tales to the locally distinctive court-case books and family dramas. "The Qixing Baizhima imprint": A surviving Yongzheng-Qianlong era printed text showing that Fuzhou pinghua was already flourishing in that period. "Ju Fuchen at Shuangmenlou": The tradition that Ju Fuchen, senior disciple of Liu Jingting, taught the art at Shuangmenlou in Fuzhou and so handed the genre down.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

In 2025, Ye Zhaochen was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Fuzhou Storytelling, with Fuzhou, Fujian as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Fuzhou Storytelling in Fuzhou, Fujian: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2006 (batch 1), with Fuzhou, Fujian as its declared area, and Fuzhou Pinghuachiyi Transmission Workshop (Fuzhou Qu Yi Troupe) as its safeguarding unit. Since the project was inscribed in the national inventory, its declared area and safeguarding unit have carried out documentation, transmission and presentation within the national safeguarding framework. Together, the inventory record and the project archive form the public documentary basis for the bearer’s transmission practice.

04 · Associated Heritage Item Dossier

05 · Fellow National Bearers Lineage

National representative bearers recorded under the same item code, ordered from the first to the sixth batch. Batch order is not a teacher–student relationship.

06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography

1. Yezhaochen (Fuzhou, Fujian) · China ICH Official Project Archive
2. Yezhaochen · China ICH Official Archive