Yangzhou Storytelling
01 · Historical Records
Since the mid-20th century there have also been performances given standing, without the use of props.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Yangzhou pinghua, also called "Weiyang pinghua" or "pingci", is a quyi performance in which a single speaker uses a folding fan, a handkerchief and other props while narrating in the Yangzhou dialect; it is transmitted in northern Jiangsu and in Nanjing, Zhenjiang, Shanghai, Anhui and other places. At the same time it makes use of hand gestures, posture, footwork, gaze and expression to convey the "spirit" that is not literally present, stressing that in depicting a figure the spirit should be housed in the emotion rather than seeking outward likeness. It is distinguished by meticulous, finely observed description, rigorous structure, a beginning that answers the end, and a multiplicity of threads kept in orderly array; it emphasizes rich detail in the plot, sharply individualized character, and vivid and interesting language.
Fan and handkerchief
The folding fan and handkerchief used by the seated narrator, with the standing, prop-free manner appearing since the mid-twentieth century.
Imagined spirit
Gesture, stance, gait and gaze are used to convey an imagined inner spirit rather than outward likeness.
One man, many roles
Without make-up or costume, the storyteller voices every character, moving from outward resemblance to inner likeness.
Two lineage books
The two most popular lineage books of the genre, the Three Kingdoms with its Li, Lan and Kang schools, and the Wang-school Water Margin.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
The performance format is a single performer seated behind a table, using a folding fan, a handkerchief and similar props and narrating in the Yangzhou dialect.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Yangzhou Storytelling.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Yangzhou pinghua was inscribed in the first batch of national-level intangible cultural heritage in 2006 under the number V-2; the protecting units are the Yangzhou Quyi Research Institute and the Jiangsu Province Performing Arts Group. The Jiangsu Province Performing Arts Group, relying on its own quyi troupes, has incorporated pinghua performances into urban theatres, communities and campuses, while also taking on the collation of repertoires and the training of young performers, so that this oral storytelling form still maintains a basic scale of performance against the background of the decline of the storytelling house. In the transmission lineage, the "Wang-school Water Margin" established by Wang Shaotang's generation was carried on by Wang Xiaotang and Wang Litang, while Hui Zhaolong, Yang Mingkun and others composed and performed new books such as Guangling Jinyan Ji and Pi Wulazi and a hundred-episode long work outside the traditional long books. Its performance takes a folding fan and a handkerchief as props, with one performer seated and speaking while playing one performer to many roles, stressing the "unseen spirit" and "housing the spirit in the emotion", creating figures through language, gaze and posture rather than make-up and costume; this is precisely what distinguishes pinghua from operatic theatre. The transmission of Yangzhou pinghua is based mainly on master-disciple teaching and practice on the storytelling platform; performers generally join a troupe as children and listen to stories with their masters, first learning the "opening piece" and short passages, and gradually taking on the long books. Hui Zhaolong was first trained by Wang Shaotang, then became a disciple of Ma Fengzhang to study Houshui Hu and Lu Junyi, and afterwards learned Water Margin: Lu Junyi and Water Margin: Shi Xiu from Zhang Zhengqing; on the basis of the tradition he brought subjects from the history of the Chinese Revolution, especially the Chen Yi series, onto the storytelling platform, and borrowed techniques from film and television in order to suit the manner of pinghua performance without make-up, without costume, with one performer playing many roles. The repertoire of Yangzhou pinghua is concentrated in three classes of traditional book: the historical and romance narratives Eastern Han, Western Han, Three Kingdoms, Sui and Tang, Water Margin and Yue Zhuan; the case-and-chivalry tales Green Peony, Baqiao Zhu, Jiu Lian Deng and Qingfeng Zha; and the myths and marvels Investiture of the Gods, Journey to the West and The Biography of Ji Gong. The main difficulties at present are the reduction in the number of consecutive performances of long books, the over-age structure of the audience, and the shortage of young performers able to take the stage alone as solo narrators; rescue-oriented audio and video recording and the collation of scripts have therefore been listed as priority items.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Wang Litang 02-0709
- Li Xintang 02-0710
- Xing Yanchun 03-1152
- Huizhaolong 03-1158
- Yang Mingkun 05-2476
- Jiang Qingling
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
This static English edition is rendered at the edge for search engines, AI crawlers and readers without JavaScript; it mirrors the bilingual dossier. 阅读中文版，或返回 英文名录。