Page 8 August 19, 2014 NANJING 2014 YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES AROUND JIANGSU CHARMS OF AN OLD WORLD Once popular art forms of folk singing and opera are still alive today in Jiangsu province XUZHOU QINSHU Xuzhou qinshu is a Chinese of charge in an attempt to pro- folk art form that originates mote the folk culture. He has from Xuzhou, in the northern also cooperated with Jiangsu part of Jiangsu province, and Normal University and China was frequently played during the University of Mining and Tech- SUZHOU PINGTAN fallow farming season. nology to hold qinshu classes Performed with a variety of to cultivate a young audience As one of the three fl owers in the forms, the Suzhou Pingtan Collec- the 15th Shanghai International Art instruments including the reed base. cultural history of Suzhou, together tion and Appreciation Association Festival in 2013. pipe, bamboo fl ute, vertical bam- The Xuzhou government has with the Kunqu Opera and Suzhou was established in October 1993 and More than 170 artists from cities and boo fl ute, dulcimer and Chinese launched a special program and Opera, pingtan, or ballad singing, is has attracted scores of pingtan lov- provinces in the Yangtze River Delta, fi ddle, the music was mainly for provided funds for a collection a local form of storytelling that mix- ers over the years. such as Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zheji- the entertainment of laborers. of small theaters that host qin- es singing with the bamboo fl ute, a The collectors began to accu- ang, were involved in the competition. Qinshu is mostly about house- shu performances each day. sanxian (a three-stringed plucked mulate pingtan performances and There are many places in China hold a airs and was widely pop- instrument) and some local phrases. material from the 1950s and ’60s, where people can enjoy pinghua. ular among locals. However, as it Qinshu is mostly about The Suzhou dialect was popular including videos totaling thousands Jubin House is an old teahouse in requires some basic local knowl- household a airs and during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) of hours. The impressive collection Zhouzhuang and one of the plac- edge and is being challenged by and is mainly used in pinghua and also includes publications, pictures, es where pingtan performances are modern-day entertainment out- was widely popular tanci performances. signatures of performers and other staged. lets, the centuries-old art form is among locals. However, Pinghua is basically a one-per- material. The venue retains its old-world on the decline. as it requires some son show while Tanci is usually per- Thanks to the association, the charm with lines of tea tables inside. Wei Caiyun, a qinshu per- formed by two. Both forms tell sto- performances have ridden a wave of Zhouzhuang is an ancient town former, said the government basic local knowledge ries accompanied by the Chinese tra- revival in recent years. with a strong cultural background. should create more small-scale and is being challenged ditional stringed instruments. The performance Pingjiang Road Various folk performances are held theaters to host qinshu concerts by modern-day The stories of pingtan usually in the Rain, representing the culture in the town and the form of storytell- and also provide incentives to focus on historical events, famous center of Gusu district in Suzhou of ing and ballad performance in the encourage young people to entertainment outlets, heroes, romance and folk legends. Jiangsu province, won the gold prize Suzhou dialect is popular with both study the art. the centuries-old art is In an attempt to preserve the art at the ballad singing tournament at locals and tourists. Wei has set up a series of qinshu training sessions free on the decline. NANJING BAIJU Baiju, the popular art form that combines talking and singing, has a history spanning more than 600 years and is the only ancient opera that originated from Nanjing. Similar to the monologues or standup talks shows, baiju can be performed by up to fi ve people. Due to its plain and simple style, it is easy to understand and funny to watch; even for people from outside of the region. The wind and percussion-based opera originated in the countryside of Luhe district. Many a uent fam- ilies used to invite performers to their courtyards for weddings and During brocade work, a person ers of Twelve Months, Ten Cups of funerals. would sing at a weaving machine Wine, Lovesickness Before Dawn, Due to a variety of dialects, there while others nearby would often The Eight Immortals Crossing the are about 100 tunes in Nanjing bai- sing along. Sea and Meeting Ten Men. ju, with most being about local news As weavers worked around the They were mainly about daily and anecdotes and being performed clock, a large number of baiju life, big events and the city’s pop- in a brief and humorous way. tunes emerged that were popu- ular spots. Many performances It was fi rst embraced by the work- lar among the workers, including praised the laborers’ hard work. ing class in Nanjing when it was Offering Birthday Felicitations, Thanks to the efforts of some spread from the countryside to the Picking Immortal Peaches, Forty- traditionalists, the art is again city. eight Scenic Spots of Jinling, Flow- prospering. .