Xuwenzhang Stories
01 · Historical Records
The Xu Wenchang stories are one of the important witty-figure stories of the Han people, arising in the mid and late Ming and continuing uninterrupted to the present. Set against the history of the mid and late Ming, the Xu Wenchang stories run from the tale of his youth, Taking an Object from the Pole, to the tale of his death, Turning a Thousand into Ten Thousand and a Treasure within Treasures.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
As folk oral creation the Xu Wenchang stories are based on the anecdotes of the historical figure Xu Wei, courtesy name Wenchang, and take in a great many witty-figure stories; widely current in Shaoxing and other Jiangnan areas, they gradually grew fuller over time, and some three hundred pieces now survive. The legend is transmitted in varied ways and is rich in content, displaying in an all-round way Xu Wenchang's qualities of cleverness and talent, humour and wit, love of country and home, closeness to the common people and contempt for the powerful, with a rich Shaoxing character and local flavour.
Taking an Object from the Pole
A representative tale of Xu Wenchang's youth.
Turning a Thousand into Ten Thousand and a Treasure within Treasures
The tale of Xu Wenchang on his deathbed.
Stories of Contempt for the Powerful
Stories showing Xu Wenchang's contempt for the powerful.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
The Xu Wenchang stories circulate with Shaoxing in Zhejiang as their centre through the Jiangnan area, closely bound up with the market life and dialect of Shaoxing; some three hundred pieces survive and they are widely current in Shaoxing and other Jiangnan areas.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
The Xu Wenchang stories have important folk-literature value and also provide useful material for biographical literature and historical research. With the quickening of the pace of social life and the change in ways of living the transmission of the Xu Wenchang stories has suffered a great impact; protection must be strengthened so that they may continue to be transmitted.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Wu Chuanlai 05-2003
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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