Ventriloquism in Chinese Traditional Folk Performing Arts

Ventriloquism is a folk performing art, a kind of acrobatics. In ancient times, ventriloquism was actually an art of imitating sounds. Performers use their mouths to imitate various kinds of sounds, which can make people who listen to them feel like they are in the realm of reality, and it is one of the valuable legacies of China's culture and art. This technique, the Qing Dynasty is a "hundred plays" of a performer more invisible in the curtain or behind the screen, commonly known as "next door play". And there are also ventriloquism. The use of mouth, tongue, throat, nose and other articulation techniques to imitate various sounds, such as trains, birdsong, etc., when performing with the action, can enhance the sense of reality. There are other literary works named "ventriloquism" by Lin Sihuan and Pu Songling.

The use of ventriloquism was first seen in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods. According to history, Tian Wen, the ruler of Meng Chang in Qi, was envied for his talent, and King Zhaoxiang of Qin was ready to kill him. He made his men learn how to bark like a dog, stole the fox-faced fur, bribed his favorite concubine, and obtained a "pass"; he also made his men learn how to bark like a chicken, and made the guards open the city gates, and thus escaped.

Ventriloquism as a performing art not later than the Song Dynasty. In the Song Dynasty, it was said in the Miscellaneous Records that in the amusement parks of the capital city, there were "Learning from the Countryside" and "Hundred Birds Singing", which might be ventriloquism. In Song and Yuan dramas, stage effects such as "barking dogs" and "crowing chickens" were mostly done by ventriloquists in the background.

To the Qing Dynasty, ventriloquism from simply simulating a sound, the development of a variety of voices at the same time, string composed of a story, was listed as one of the "hundred plays", that is, "mouth play", commonly known as "next door theater! It was classified as one of the "Hundred Operas", i.e. "Mouth Opera", commonly called "Next Door Opera". It performs "military hunting", "group of pigs fighting for food", all but exquisite.

Anciently called ventriloquism "comic", take the meaning of imitation sound, is a kind of imitation art, is still popular. But the "mouth theater" has died out. First, because the "mouth theater" requires performers to have a high level of skill, and secondly, "mouth theater" of many conditions and roles, has been replaced by modern technical equipment.