Bao Xianping
01 · Lineage & Regional School
Bao Xianping, Female, Han, from Zhangzi, Shanxi, is a sixth-batch national representative bearer of Zhangzigushu (Ⅴ-98). The tradition is documented in Zhangzi, Shanxi. Within the regional tradition and school record of Zhangzigushu in Zhangzi, Shanxi: Especially during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the anti-Japanese publicity teams composed mainly of Zhangzi drum-ballad performers were extremely active in the southeastern part of Shanxi. Zhangzi drum-ballad storytelling is a form of quyi storytelling that took shape in Zhangzi County, Changzhi City, Shanxi Province.
02 · Mastery & Signature Works
The bearer record for Bao Xianping is anchored in the documented technical standards of Zhangzigushu in Zhangzi, Shanxi. Within the documented technical tradition of Zhangzigushu in Zhangzi, Shanxi: The performance form alternates between spoken narration and singing, is sung mainly, and is performed in the local Zhangzi accent. Performance most often involves a single person striking a storytelling drum and clapper boards while pulling a two-stringed fiddle to accompany his own singing; later there also appeared performances in which two or more people divided the accompanying instruments and performed together. Since the middle of the twentieth century, performers other than the old masters have mostly used the local Mandarin; the vocal system belongs to the clapper-pattern type, its main clapper patterns being the flowing clapper, the counted clapper, the stacked clapper and the lament clapper; apart from the storytelling drum, the clapper boards and the two-stringed fiddle, bamboo clappers, the banhu and the low two-stringed fiddle are also used. The accompaniment method is of the interlude type: while singing, the instruments are not played. There are also instrumental tune patterns used for the 'naochang' performance that opens the show before the storytelling begins. From the 1980s onward, amplified instruments together with the accordion, gong and cymbals were added, used both for the 'chaotai' performance before a show and for accompaniment when bangzi-style and luozi-style passages are inserted into the singing. Traditional repertoire is mainly of medium and long length, including Jin Zhuo Yu Huan Ji (The Golden Bracelet and Jade Ring), The Bao Gong Case, The Xu Gong Case, The Shi Gong Case, The Hai Gong Case, The Returned Cup, The Returned Dragon and White Jade Tower. Works newly composed since the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression are mainly short pieces, including Wind and Thunder, Xiao Erhei Gets Married, Sister Jiang and Fiery Steel. Zhangzi drum-ballad storytelling has a proud artistic tradition. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Zhangzi County quyi troupe built on this foundation stayed active in the county's urban and rural areas, performing for the ordinary people all year round. Representative repertoire, works and technical entries recorded for the project include: "Drum, bamboo clappers and self-played erhu": A single performer usually beats the story drum and clappers while bowing his own erhu; accompaniment falls between vocal phrases rather than under them. "The four main metres": Its arias are of the metrical type with flowing, counting, piled and lamenting metres, later joined by electric instruments, accordion and gongs. "Middle- and long-length items": Traditional items run mostly middle- or long-length; these and the court-case cycles were told over many days in the villages. "New items from the war years onward": From the War of Resistance onward new items were mostly short, drawing on modern literature and revolutionary stories.
Drum, bamboo clappers and self-played erhu
A single performer usually beats the story drum and clappers while bowing his own erhu; accompaniment falls between vocal phrases rather than under them.
The four main metres
Its arias are of the metrical type with flowing, counting, piled and lamenting metres, later joined by electric instruments, accordion and gongs.
Middle- and long-length items
Traditional items run mostly middle- or long-length; these and the court-case cycles were told over many days in the villages.
New items from the war years onward
From the War of Resistance onward new items were mostly short, drawing on modern literature and revolutionary stories.
03 · Transmission & Safeguarding Status
In 2025, Bao Xianping was announced in the sixth batch of national representative bearers for Zhangzigushu, with Zhangzi, Shanxi as the declared area. Within the documented safeguarding record of Zhangzigushu in Zhangzi, Shanxi: The project was inscribed in the national inventory in 2011 (batch 3), with Zhangzi, Shanxi as its declared area, and Zhangzi County Cultural 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
Historical origin
Zhangzi drum-ballad storytelling is a form of quyi storytelling that took shape in Zhangzi County, Changzhi City, Shanxi Province.
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.
| Bearer | Declared area | Roster code | Relation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liu Yinhong | Zhangzi, Shanxi | 05-2520 | Same declared area |
| Bao Xianping | Zhangzi, Shanxi | — | This page |
06 · Archival Sources & Bibliography
This static English edition is rendered at the edge for search engines, AI crawlers and readers without JavaScript. Compiled from official national representative bearer archival records and the associated project dossier, organized by topic and translated into English. 阅读中文版。