The origin of storytelling

As an independent storytelling variety, the traditional storytelling art of Han nationality, which is popular in northern China, was formed in the early Qing Dynasty. According to various sources, although storytelling is a form of oral performance, its artist source is mostly "singing songs". According to legend, the art of storytelling formed in Beijing was originally a "rap" artist named "Heizishu". At the beginning of the 20th century, many "rap" artists who performed "Xihe Drum" and "Northeast Drum" in northern rural areas switched to telling stories after entering the city. This is a very interesting phenomenon in the evolution of China Quyi.

Quiet people in China are not necessarily quiet. After dinner, they often sit around the table and talk about anecdotes and chaos in East, West, North, South and East. Over time, mysterious stories, storytellers and anecdotes have formed.

Storytelling, also known as storytelling, is popular in North China, Northeast China and Northwest China. In Jiangnan, it is called Pinghua. It has a long history. As early as the Spring and Autumn Period, people told stories. It is an oral literature created by the working people in our country. During the Warring States Period, hundred schools of thought lobbied the princes, often using stories as metaphors. Later, many well-known idioms were formed, such as "Anger at the crown", "Carving a boat for a sword" and "Complement". In fact, this is the early storytelling. The popular storytelling in Beijing is said to have been handed down by Liu Jingting (1587 ~ 1668), a storyteller from the south of the Yangtze River, when he came to Beijing in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. It is also said that when Wang Hongxing, a drummer of Beijing dialect in Qing Dynasty, performed in Jiangnan, he worshipped Liu Jingting as his teacher. After returning to Beijing, he changed to storytelling, and in the thirteenth year of Yongzheng (1735), he filed a case with Zhang Yishi as a disciple.