Kang Yi

01 · Lineage & Regional School

Kang Yi, Male, Han, from Pudongxin, Shanghai, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Pudongshuoshu (Ⅴ-59). The tradition is documented in Pudongxin, Shanghai. Within the regional tradition and school record of Pudongshuoshu in Pudongxin, Shanghai: Its melody is mainly pentatonic, and its vocal system is divided into two kinds, the dongxiang tune and the xixiang tune. Pudong storytelling has Chuansha and Nanhui in Pudong as its base, and is current throughout the whole suburban area of Shanghai and in Pinghu City, Zhejiang Province; in the trade language of the performers, setting up a storytelling pitch in a market town is called “li bai di” (standing in the open ground), and only later did it move into halls and houses. Its vocal system evolved out of the “guoyin diao” of “shuoyinguo”, and it also absorbed melodies from local folk songs and from the sister genre “dalianfa”; the dongxiang tune belongs to the zhi mode with a steady, placid melody, while the xixiang tune is in the gong mode, its melody rising high and falling low. After 1949 Pudong storytelling developed from the single seated performer into the two-bang, multi-bang, small-group singing and acted-singing forms, and from short episodes into long standard works, one session lasting as a rule about three hours. The protecting unit is the Beicai Town Cultural Service Centre of Pudong New Area, Shanghai. Pudong storytelling originated in Chuansha and Nanhui in Pudong, Shanghai, and was later current throughout the whole suburban area of Shanghai and in places such as Pinghu City, Zhejiang Province. Pudong storytelling is usually sung in the dongxiang (eastern village) speech of Pudong and the xixiang (western village) speech of Puxi; its vocal system evolved out of the “guoyin diao” (cause-and-effect tune) of “shuoyinguo” storytelling, and it has also taken in melodies from local folk songs and from the sister genre “dalianfa” (rapid-fire singing).

02 · Mastery & Signature Works

The bearer record for Kang Yi is anchored in the documented technical standards of Pudongshuoshu in Pudongxin, Shanghai. Within the documented technical tradition of Pudongshuoshu in Pudongxin, Shanghai: Because the performer strikes the cymbals with one hand, it is also called “bozi shu” (cymbal book), and is further known as “Hu shu” (Shanghai book) and “the peasants’ book”. The dongxiang tune belongs to the zhi mode and includes “dong diao” (eastern tune), “xi diao” (western tune), “cuan diao”, “niangniang diao” (lady tune) and “ji diao” (urgent tune), with a steady and placid melody; the xixiang tune is in the gong mode, its melody rising high and then falling low, and the first half of each sung line is close to a chanting style that speaks as it sings, with many words and few notes, its melodic form being the single-sentence form and, next to that, the couplet form of upper and lower sentences. The rhythm of the singing in Pudong storytelling is comparatively free, changing with the development of the plot and the shifts of the characters’ feelings, at times short and quick, at times broad and relaxed. Pudong storytelling is generally sung by a single seated performer, who commonly uses the xingmu (awakening block), a fan, a handkerchief and other props to assist the performance; some performers speak without singing, the narration being carried mainly in the Pudong and Shanghai dialects. In its later development Pudong storytelling also began to tell long standard works, with the telling taking the lead, one session lasting as a rule about three hours. After 1949 there appeared a variety of new performance forms, such as the two-bang and multi-bang forms, small-group singing and acted singing. Besides traditional titles such as The Shi Gong Case, The Bao Gong Case and The Ji Gong tales, Pudong storytelling also has modern titles such as Ma Yongzhen of Shandong and Huo Yuanjia, and modern repertoire adapted from long novels such as Railway Guerrillas and Tracks in the Snowy Forest. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Eastern and western village tunes": The two tonal systems of Pudong storytelling: the placid eastern mode and the high-falling western mode with its chant-like first half line. "Cymbals, bamboo chopstick and wooden block": The cymbal struck with one hand—hence the name “cymbal book”—plus wooden block, fan and handkerchief, with some performances purely spoken. "Ma Yongzhen of Shandong; Huo Yuanjia": Modern-era titles in the Pudong repertoire, performed alongside traditional cases of Judge Shi, Judge Bao and the Mad Monk. "Railway Guerrillas; Tracks in the Snowy Forest": Modern titles adapted from novels for Pudong storytelling after 1949.

03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status

In 2025, Kang Yi was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Pudongshuoshu, with Pudongxin, Shanghai as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Pudongshuoshu in Pudongxin, Shanghai: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2008 (batch 2), with Pudongxin, Shanghai as its declared area, and Shanghai Pudongxin District Bei Cai Town Culture Service Center 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. Kangyi (Pudongxin, Shanghai) · China ICH Official Project Archive
2. Kangyi · China ICH Official Archive