Xiangsheng Performers
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Xiangsheng (), also known as crosstalk or comic dialog, is a traditional
performing art The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which involve the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. Pe ...
in
Chinese comedy Chinese comedy has a long history that dates back to the Zhou dynasty (1100–221 BC) when the aristocracy kept jesters in their homes. At that time people in higher society were profoundly influenced by the teachings of Confucius, and as a r ...
, and one of the most popular elements in
Chinese culture Chinese culture () is one of the Cradle of civilization#Ancient China, world's earliest cultures, said to originate five thousand years ago. The culture prevails across a large geographical region in East Asia called the Sinosphere as a whole ...
. It is typically performed as a dialog between two performers, or rarely as a
monologue In theatre, a monologue (also known as monolog in North American English) (in , from μόνος ''mónos'', "alone, solitary" and λόγος ''lógos'', "speech") is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts ...
by a solo performer (similar to most forms of
stand-up comedy Stand-up comedy is a performance directed to a live audience, where the performer stands on a stage (theatre), stage and delivers humour, humorous and satire, satirical monologues sometimes incorporating physical comedy, physical acts. These ...
), or even less frequently, as a group act by multiple performers. The Xiangsheng language, rich in
pun A pun, also known as a paronomasia in the context of linguistics, is a form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from t ...
s and
allusion Allusion, or alluding, is a figure of speech that makes a reference to someone or something by name (a person, object, location, etc.) without explaining how it relates to the given context, so that the audience must realize the connection in the ...
s, is delivered in a rapid, bantering style, typically in the
Tianjin dialect The Tianjin dialect () is a Mandarin dialect spoken in the city of Tianjin, China. It is comprehensible to speakers of other Mandarin dialects, though its greatest deviation from the others lies in its individual tones, and the lack of retrofle ...
(or in
Mandarin Chinese Mandarin ( ; zh, s=, t=, p=Guānhuà, l=Mandarin (bureaucrat), officials' speech) is the largest branch of the Sinitic languages. Mandarin varieties are spoken by 70 percent of all Chinese speakers over a large geographical area that stretch ...
with a strong
northern Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating ...
accent). The acts would sometimes include singing, Chinese rapping, and musical instruments. Xiangsheng has connections with the
vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...
Double act that developed in approximately the same era. Some Westerners have studied the art of Xiangsheng. One
Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
student of Xiangsheng,
Mark Rowswell Mark Henry Rowswell, CM (born May 23, 1965), known by his Chinese stage name Dashan (), is a Canadian performer and television personality who gained prominence in China. He became known in the late 1980s through regular appearances on China C ...
, has said that the closest English equivalent is " Who's on First?", a sketch by
Abbott and Costello Abbott and Costello were an American comedy duo composed of comedians Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, whose work in radio, film, and television made them the most popular comedy team of the 1940s and 1950s, and the highest-paid entertainers in t ...
. However, many acts in vaudeville and radio double acts, as well as the screen comedy dialog that evolved from them, are similar to Xiangsheng in their formula.


Format

Modern Xiangsheng comprises four classic skills: * ''Speaking'' (simplified Chinese: 说; traditional Chinese: 說; pinyin: ''shuō''): to tell a story, which is the pragmatic mechanism of humor (i.e. making jokes or using
tongue-twisters A tongue twister is a phrase that is designed to be difficult to articulate properly, and can be used as a type of spoken (or sung) word game. Additionally, they can be used as exercises to improve pronunciation and fluency. Some tongue twisters p ...
). * ''Imitating'' (simplified Chinese: 学; traditional Chinese: 學; pinyin: ''xué''): includes
Kouji ''Kouji'' (), which can be translated literally as "mouth skill" or "skill of mouth" is a Chinese vocal mimicry performance art which utilizes the human speech organs to mimic the sounds of everyday life. When this vocal mimicry is combined with v ...
, accents,
dialect A dialect is a Variety (linguistics), variety of language spoken by a particular group of people. This may include dominant and standard language, standardized varieties as well as Vernacular language, vernacular, unwritten, or non-standardize ...
s, and other sounds, as well as imitating the "singing" and actions of specific characters in traditional Chinese operas such as
Peking opera Peking opera, or Beijing opera (), is the most dominant form of Chinese opera, which combines instrumental music, vocal performance, mime, martial arts, dance and acrobatics. It arose in Beijing in the mid-Qing dynasty (1644–1912) and became ...
, Pingxi, and Bangzi. * ''Teasing'' (Chinese: 逗; pinyin: ''dòu''): to make a joke—tease is the soul of Xiangsheng. * ''Singing'' (Chinese: 唱; pinyin: ''chàng''): only
Taiping lyrics __NOTOC__ Taiping, Tai-p’ing, or Tai Ping most often refers to: Chinese history * Princess Taiping (died 713), Tang dynasty princess * Taiping Rebellion (1850–1864), civil war in southern China ** Taiping Heavenly Kingdom (1851–1864), the re ...
can be considered as singing in Xiangsheng. Xiangsheng is most commonly performed by two actors. The leading actor is called Dougen (simplified Chinese: 逗哏; traditional Chinese: 逗哏; pinyin: dòugén) and the supporting actor is called Penggen (simplified Chinese: 捧哏; traditional Chinese: 捧哏; pinyin: pěnggén).


History


Origins

Xiangsheng is generally thought to have originated in the late
Qing Dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...
, particularly during the rules of the
Xianfeng Emperor The Xianfeng Emperor (17 July 1831 – 22 August 1861), also known by his temple name Emperor Wenzong of Qing, personal name Yizhu, was the eighth emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the seventh Qing emperor to rule over China proper. During his re ...
and the
Tongzhi Emperor The Tongzhi Emperor (27 April 1856 – 12 January 1875), also known by his temple name Emperor Muzong of Qing, personal name Zaichun, was the ninth emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the eighth Qing emperor to rule over China proper. His reign, w ...
in the mid-1800s, although its roots may extend as far back as the
Ming Dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...
. It began as a form of
street performance Street performance or busking is the act of performing in public places for gratuities. In many countries, the rewards are generally in the form of money but other gratuities such as food, drink or gifts may be given. Street performance is pr ...
, incorporating joke-telling, comedic banter, imitations, or borrowing from other performance arts, such as Peking opera, all with the express purpose of making audiences laugh. By the early days of the
Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
, Xiangsheng had evolved into a more modern format. It was performed in
teahouses A teahouse or tearoom (also tea room) is an establishment which primarily serves tea and other light refreshments. A tea room may be a room set aside in a hotel, especially for serving afternoon tea, or may be an establishment that only ser ...
, theaters, and, eventually, on radio and television. There are three major sources of Xiangsheng:
Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
Tianqiao,
Tianjin Tianjin is a direct-administered municipality in North China, northern China on the shore of the Bohai Sea. It is one of the National Central City, nine national central cities, with a total population of 13,866,009 inhabitants at the time of the ...
Quanyechang, and the
Nanjing Nanjing or Nanking is the capital of Jiangsu, a province in East China. The city, which is located in the southwestern corner of the province, has 11 districts, an administrative area of , and a population of 9,423,400. Situated in the Yang ...
Confucius Temple. The origins of certain modern-day Xiangsheng pieces can be traced back well over 100 years, though in many cases, the original author is unattributed. Many skits in "traditional Xiangsheng" have evolved through generations of performers successively revising material, retaining the general structure or "heart" of a piece while updating specific references with more modern material. One of the earliest Xiangsheng pioneers is a person known by the name of
Zhang Sanlu Zhang may refer to: Chinese culture, etc. * Zhang (surname) (張/张), common Chinese surname ** Zhang (surname 章), a rarer Chinese surname * Zhang County (漳县), of Dingxi, Gansu * Zhang River (漳河), a river flowing mainly in Henan * ''Zha ...
(), who performed during the mid-19th century. Originally a performer of Ba Jiao Gu (''drum-song'') (), Zhang eventually switched to doing imitations and telling humorous stories. Later artists considered Zhang to have been one of the first Xiangsheng performers.


Xiangsheng in Chinese Mainland

After the establishment of the
People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
in 1949, the popularity of Xiangsheng increased. Previously seen as relatively low-class street performing, Xiangsheng became regarded as a
proletarian The proletariat (; ) is the social class of wage-earners, those members of a society whose possession of significant economic value is their labour power (their capacity to work). A member of such a class is a proletarian or a . Marxist philo ...
art form. Because it was performed in
Mandarin Chinese Mandarin ( ; zh, s=, t=, p=Guānhuà, l=Mandarin (bureaucrat), officials' speech) is the largest branch of the Sinitic languages. Mandarin varieties are spoken by 70 percent of all Chinese speakers over a large geographical area that stretch ...
, Xiangsheng became a useful tool for promoting the use of Mandarin Chinese throughout China. In the 1950s,
Hou Baolin Hou Baolin (; November 29, 1917 – February 4, 1993) was a Chinese xiangsheng performer. He was one of his generation's most popular and influential xiangsheng performers and was mentor to many later xiangsheng performers. His apprentices inclu ...
led a group of Xiangsheng performers to reform Xiangsheng, removing language and content that was considered "vulgar" and generally making it more "politically correct". Hou later became widely regarded as a master of Xiangsheng. He is often regarded as "China's
Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is considered o ...
". As with many forms of performance art, Xiangsheng was banned during the
Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a Social movement, sociopolitical movement in the China, People's Republic of China (PRC). It was launched by Mao Zedong in 1966 and lasted until his de ...
. It experienced a huge resurgence in the mid-1970s, with many skits
satirizing Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of exposing or ...
the
Gang of Four The Gang of Four () was a Maoist political faction composed of four Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials. They came to prominence during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) and were later charged with a series of treasonous crimes due to th ...
and excesses of this period. With the popularization of
television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...
in the 1980s, Xiangsheng became a standard feature of the annual New Year's Gala of
China Central Television China Central Television (CCTV) is the State media, national television broadcaster of China, established in 1958. CCTV is operated by the National Radio and Television Administration which reports directly to the Publicity Department of th ...
(CCTV), as well as other popular performing arts shows in China. Xiangsheng entered a period of decline in the 1990s, caused largely by increased official sensitivity towards political and social satire following the
1989 Tiananmen Square protests The Tiananmen Square protests, known within China as the June Fourth Incident, were student-led Demonstration (people), demonstrations held in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, lasting from 15 April to 4 June 1989. After weeks of unsucces ...
, as well as the lack of performance venues outside of sanitized state-run television programming. Many performers called for a return of performing Xiangsheng in teahouses and small theaters, which had traditionally been the main venues for Xiangsheng performances but were almost never used at the time. A new generation of Xiangsheng performers emerged from this movement, including
Guo Degang Guo Degang ( zh, s=郭德纲, p=Guō Dégāng) is a Chinese crosstalk (''xiangsheng'') comedian and actor. Guo's film appearances include '' The 601st Phone Call'', '' Just Another Pandora's Box'', and '' Mystery''. Guo has also directed the fi ...
. Guo has been credited with renewing interest among young
millennial Millennials, also known as Generation Y or Gen Y, are the demographic cohort following Generation X and preceding Generation Z. Researchers and popular media use the early 1980s as starting birth years and the mid-1990s to early 2000s as ...
audiences, who found Xiangsheng to be boring and didactic. Guo's rise to fame, while representing a very traditionalist movement, pitted him against more mainstream, establishment performers, such as Jiang Kun. In recent years, to appeal to younger audiences, animators have created
animated Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby image, still images are manipulated to create Motion picture, moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on cel, transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and e ...
versions of various skits using audio from past broadcasts. The animated versions often use humor in a literal sense, illustrating scenes or stories described by the performers. There are some variety shows for young Xiangsheng actors to promote themselves like "Xiangsheng Has New Talents" (Chinese: 相声有新人) and "Happy Comedian" (Chinese: 欢乐喜剧人), both hosted by Guo Degang.


Xiangsheng in Taiwan

In 1949, a group of Xiangsheng performers followed the Republic of China's retreat to
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
. The same year, Chen Yian (Chinese: 陳逸安), Wei Longhao (Chinese: 魏龍豪), and
Wu Zhaonan Wu Zhaonan (; 14 January 1926 – 14 October 2018) was a Chinese xiangsheng comedian based in Taiwan. He was officially recognized by the government of Taiwan as a "national treasure". He was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from ...
met and hosted a Xiangsheng show on the
Broadcasting Corporation of China The Broadcasting Corporation of China (BCC) is a broadcasting company in the Republic of China (also known as Taiwan). It was founded as the Central Broadcasting System in Nanjing in 1928. History The Central Broadcasting System is considere ...
and Taiwan Police Radio (Chinese: 警察廣播電台). After 1967, he began collecting data to produce "Xiangsheng Collections", "Xiangsheng Highlight", "Xiangsheng Anecdote", and "Rediscovery of Xiangsheng". Initially, Xiangsheng's main audience was internal immigrants, mainly from
military dependents' village Military dependents' villages () are communities in Taiwan built in the late 1940s and the 1950s whose original purpose was to serve as provisional housing for soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines of the Republic of China Armed Forces, along ...
s. In 1985, the performance workshop Biao Fang (Chinese: 表演工作坊) launched ''That Night, We Speak Xiangsheng'' (Chinese: 那一夜,我們說相聲), a play performed by Li Liqun (Chinese: 李立群) and Li Guoxiu (Chinese: 李國修), which caused a stir. In 1989, Biao Fang launched the stage play ''Tonight, Who Speaks Xiangsheng?'' (Chinese: 這一夜,誰來說相聲), which was performed by Li Liqun (Chinese: 李立群), Jin Shijie (Chinese: 金士傑), and Chen Lihua (Chinese: 陳立華). Numerous other plays were produced, including: * ''Taiwan Bizarre Talk'' (1991; performed by Li Liqun), * ''That Night, We Speak Xiangsheng'' (Chinese: 那一夜,我們說相聲; 1993; performed by Li Liqun and Feng Yugang (Chinese: 馮翊綱)), * ''Another Night, They Speak Xiangsheng'' (1997; performed by Feng Yugang, Zhao Ziqiang (Chinese: 赵自强), and Bu Xueliang (Chinese: 卜學亮), and * ''Millennium Night, We Speak Xiangsheng'' (2000; performed by Zhao Ziqiang, Jin Shijie, and Ni Minjan). In 2005, ''This Night, Women Speak Xiangsheng''—performed by
Fang Fang Fang Fang (), pen name of Wang Fang (; born 11 May 1955), is a Chinese writer, known for her literary depictions of the working poor. She won the Lu Xun Literary Prize in 2010. Born in Nanjing, she attended Wuhan University in 1978 to study Chi ...
(Chinese: 方芳), Deng Chenghui (Chinese: 鄧程慧), and Xiao Ai (Chinese: 蕭艾)—was launched. Although all these plays were claimed to be Xiangsheng, they were actually
theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The performers may communi ...
performances. In April 1988, Feng Yugang and Song Shaoqing (Chinese: 宋少卿) formed Comedians Workshop, which aimed to merge theater with Xiangsheng. Huang Shiwei (Chinese: 黄士伟) joined in 2001. On July 8, 2004, Comedians Workshop assisted Dream Theater to perform ''Give Me a Tape.'' In 1993, Liu Zengqi (Chinese: 劉增鍇) and Lin Wenbin (Chinese: 林文彬) founded the Taipei Musical Art Troupe. In addition to Xiangsheng, they also introduced many Chinese traditional
Quyi ''Quyi'' ("melodious art") and ''shuochang yishu'' ("speaking and singing art") are umbrella terms for over 300 regional genres of traditional Chinese oral performing arts. ''Quyi'' is distinguished from ''xiqu'' (Chinese opera) by its emphasis ...
(a traditional form of Chinese art), such as Shuanghuang (Chinese: 双簧),
Pingshu ''Pingshu'' () or ''pinghua'' () refers to the traditional Han Chinese performing art of storytelling with no musical accompaniment. It is better known as ''pingshu'' in northern China and ''pinghua'' in southern China. Performing art Pingshu ...
(Chinese: 评书), Shulaibao (Chinese: 数来宝),
Kuaiban ''Kuaibanshu'' () is a form of oral storytelling performance that is popular in northern China. It is a type of '' shuochang'', somewhat similar to Vietnamese vè or rapping. Background Kuaiban literally means ''fast boards''. It is also known a ...
(Chinese: 快板书), Jingyun drum (Chinese: 京韵大鼓), Meihua drum (Chinese: 梅花大鼓), Xihe drum (Chinese: 西河大鼓), Danxian (Chinese: 单弦), and Taiping lyrics (Chinese: 太平歌詞), which have also promoted the exchange of performances between Taiwan and
Mainland China "Mainland China", also referred to as "the Chinese mainland", is a Geopolitics, geopolitical term defined as the territory under direct administration of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the aftermath of the Chinese Civil War. In addit ...
. On August 26, 1999, Wu Zhaonan announced the establishment of Wu Zhaonan's Xiangsheng Club. Only direct disciples of Wu Zhaonan could become official members. In addition to Xiangsheng, it also introduced Quyi, including Shuanghuang (Chinese: 双簧), Pingshu (Chinese: 评书), Shulaibao (Chinese: 数来宝), Kuaiban (Chinese: 快板书), Danxian (Chinese: 单弦), Taiping lyrics (Chinese: 太平歌詞), and Peking opera.


Xiangsheng in Hong Kong

Northern Xiangsheng has been popular in
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
since the
Zhongyuan Zhongyuan (), the Central Plain(s), also known as Zhongtu (, lit. 'central land') and Zhongzhou (, lit. 'central region'), commonly refers to the part of the North China Plain surrounding the lower and middle reaches of the Yellow River, centere ...
period. As early as the Qing Dynasty, storytellers from China brought Xiangsheng to South
Guangdong ) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...
and Hong Kong. After Hong Kong was ceded as a British colony, the development of Xiangsheng entered a unique period of localization. In the early years of the Republic of China, Hong Kong's Xiangsheng mainly performed in the street, and most Xiangsheng artists were jugglers, such as Pingshu and Kouji. Xiangsheng performers came from all walks of life. They were knowledgeable and enjoyed chatting, thus using Xiangsheng to make a living. In the 1940s and 50s,
Hong Kong cinema The cinema of Hong Kong ( zh, t=香港電影) is one of the three major threads in the history of Chinese-language cinema, alongside the cinema of China and the cinema of Taiwan. As a former Crown colony, Hong Kong had a greater degree of ar ...
began to develop rapidly, and Xiangsheng began to integrate into emerging media. In old Hong Kong movies, Xiangsheng-inspired comedy began to integrate into early Hong Kong cinema, mostly in the form of monologs and characters teasing each other. In 1957, the first Chinese-language TV media in the world was created; it was called Rediffusion Television Limited and was the predecessor of
Asia Television Asia Television Limited (, also known as ATV) is a digital media and broadcasting company in Hong Kong. Established as the first television service in Hong Kong as Rediffusion Television () on 29 May 1957, it shifted to terrestrial televis ...
. Xiangsheng became a fixed performance for
variety show Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical performances, sketch comedy, magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is normally introduced by a comp ...
s. In 1967,
Television Broadcasts Limited Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB; zh, t=電視廣播有限公司) is a television broadcasting company based in Hong Kong. The company operates five free-to-air terrestrial television channels in Hong Kong, with TVB Jade as its main Canton ...
(TVB) was created, and the variety show ''
Enjoy Yourself Tonight ''Enjoy Yourself Tonight'' or ''EYT'' is a popular variety show that was produced in British Hong Kong. It first aired on TVB Jade on 20 November 1967. The show lasted 27 years with its last broadcast on Friday, 7 October 1994. During the 1980s ...
'' was launched. Xiangsheng began to appear in several variants in the variety show, such as the host's speech and the show to show lines.


Xiangsheng in Malaysia (Overseas Chinese)

After the
Chinese Civil War The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Kuomintang-led Nationalist government, government of the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic of China and the forces of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Armed conflict continued intermitt ...
, a number of performers from
South China South China ( zh, s=, p=Huá'nán, j=jyut6 naam4) is a geographical and cultural region that covers the southernmost part of China. Its precise meaning varies with context. A notable feature of South China in comparison to the rest of China is ...
traveled to
Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
for development (before Singapore's expulsion from Malaysia). Feng Xiang (Chinese: 冯翔), Bai Yan, and Lu Ding performed Xiangsheng in this region. In the multi-language environment of Malaysia, "Malaysian Xiangsheng" became different from Xiangsheng in mainland China and Taiwan. Since Mandarin Chinese is not a mainstream language in Malaysia, there are few professional performers in Malaysia.


Xiangsheng in North America

In 1984, 19-year-old
Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
comedian A comedian (feminine comedienne) or comic is a person who seeks to entertainment, entertain an audience by making them laughter, laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolishly (as in slapstick), or employing prop c ...
Mark Rowswell started learning
Chinese Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **'' Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...
at the
University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...
. After graduating in 1988, he went on to study Xiangsheng at
Peking University Peking University (PKU) is a Public university, public Types of universities and colleges in China#By designated academic emphasis, university in Haidian, Beijing, China. It is affiliated with and funded by the Ministry of Education of the Peop ...
with a Chinese comedian and Xiangsheng master, Jiang Kun (姜昆). He started using the Chinese name '
Dashan Mark Henry Rowswell, CM (born May 23, 1965), known by his Chinese stage name Dashan (), is a Canadian performer and television personality who gained prominence in China. He became known in the late 1980s through regular appearances on China C ...
' (大山), now a household name in China. Dashan has consistently improved his Chinese over thirty years, frequently appearing on national Chinese television. His career has consisted of a wide variety work, not just Xiangsheng, and in recent years he has gravitated more towards Western-style
stand-up comedy Stand-up comedy is a performance directed to a live audience, where the performer stands on a stage (theatre), stage and delivers humour, humorous and satire, satirical monologues sometimes incorporating physical comedy, physical acts. These ...
in Chinese, with elements of Xiangsheng incorporated into the act. Dashan has served informally as a cultural ambassador, using his work to help bridge cultural gaps between
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
and
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
. In 2012, American comedian Jesse Appell, known as Ai Jiexi (艾杰西) in China, started on his journey with Xiangsheng. Originally from
Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
,
Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...
, Appell went to
Brandeis University Brandeis University () is a Private university, private research university in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States. It is located within the Greater Boston area. Founded in 1948 as a nonsectarian, non-sectarian, coeducational university, Bra ...
where he joined the
Global China Connection Global China Connection or GCC (Mandarin Chinese: 全球中国联接) is a student-run 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that aims to spread China's global influence by connecting students to China. GCC is present in more than 60 universities in Nor ...
(GCC) and regularly performed stand-up comedy. He went to China in September 2012 to study Chinese at
Tsinghua University Tsinghua University (THU) is a public university in Haidian, Beijing, China. It is affiliated with and funded by the Ministry of Education of China. The university is part of Project 211, Project 985, and the Double First-Class Constructio ...
as a
Fulbright Scholar The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States cultural exchange programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the peopl ...
. There, he improved his Chinese and was awarded the Critical Language Enhancement Award (CLEA). As part of his Fulbright Scholarship, he studied Xiangsheng with a master of the craft, Ding Guangquan (丁广泉). Appell founded a
comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...
center, LaughBeijing, that hosted over 300 shows per year in Beijing from 2016 to 2020. Some of his work today also focuses on bringing the Western-style stand-up comedy to China. He sees himself as a cultural ambassador, combining his talents with the power of the
Internet The Internet (or internet) is the Global network, global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a internetworking, network of networks ...
to help U.S.-China relations and bridge cultural gaps.


As social commentary

The small scale and popularity of Xiangsheng make it second only to word of mouth in reflecting popular concerns. Hou Baolin and others have said that Xiangsheng items are "works of comic nature which use satire and humor as their principal base. The cross talks use witty speech, bitter, ridiculous ridicule, in order to achieve the purpose of arrogant "big laugh" and entertaining people. Its earliest form was derived from the juggling of "Yuyou". In these jokes, artists often pinned their mockery and whipping against the rulers. Their satirical content strikes home at contemporary malpractices and also often includes political satire." The role of Xiangsheng in the social commentary was seen after the fall of the Gang of Four in 1976 when Xiangsheng performances provided the first open criticisms of the gang. After 1976, Xiangsheng has also satirized corrupt officials and members of the
Chinese Communist Party The Communist Party of China (CPC), also translated into English as Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Founded in 1921, the CCP emerged victorious in the ...
, although criticism of the party as an entity remains off-limits.


Xiangsheng classifications


By number of actors

* Dankou Xiangsheng: a monolog by a solo performer * Duikou Xiangsheng: a dialog between two performers * Qunkou Xiangsheng: a group act with at least three performers


By content

* Ironic Xiangsheng: performers criticize themselves, others, or concepts, such as Hou Baolin's '' Walking in the dark'' (Chinese:夜行记) (criticizes people who do not follow the traffic rules), Jiang Kun and
Li Wenhua Li Wenhua may refer to: * Li Wenhua (ecologist) (; 1932–2022), Chinese ecologist * Li Wen-hua (; born 1989), Taiwanese discus thrower * Wen-Hwa Lee (; born 1950), Taiwanese molecular biologist {{hndis, Li, Wenhua ...
's '' Photograph'' (criticizes the social phenomenon during the Cultural Revolution). * Complimentary Xiangsheng: performers praise themselves, others, or concepts, such as
Ma Ji Ma Ji (; 2 August 1934 – 20 December 2006), born Ma Shuhuai (), was a Chinese xiangsheng comedian. He was one of his generation's most popular and influential xiangsheng performers and was mentor to many younger performers, including Jiang Kun ...
's ''The New Peach Garden'' (praises
socialism Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...
), Hou Yuewen's '' Story of Beijing–Kowloon railway'' (praises the constructor of
Beijing–Kowloon railway The Beijing–Kowloon railway, also known as the Jingjiu railway () is a dual track railway connecting Beijing West railway station in Beijing to Shenzhen railway station in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province. It was previously connected with Hon ...
) * Entertaining Xiangsheng: performers aim to entertain, such as ''Speaking in tongues''


By chronology

* Tradition Xiangsheng: in the Late Qing Dynasty * New Xiangsheng: after 1949 * Contemporary Xiangsheng: after 1980


By genre

* Ma Sect Xiangsheng: the representative personage
Ma Sanli Ma Sanli (Xiao'erjing: , ; 1914 – 11 February 2003) was a Chinese comedian in the traditional Xiangsheng or "crosstalk" style. Biography Ma was born in Beijing; he was of the Hui ethnic group, and the son and grandson of practitioners of Xian ...
, Ma Zhiming (Chinese: 马志明) * Chang Sect Xiangsheng: the representative personage
Chang Lianan Chang may refer to: People Surname * Chang (surname), the romanization of several separate Chinese surnames * Chang or Jang (Korean name), romanizations of the Korean surname Given name * Chang Bunker () (1811–1874), one of the origina ...
, Chang Baokun (Chinese: 常宝堃) * Hou Sect Xiangsheng: the representative personage Hou Baolin * Liu Sect Xiangsheng: the representative personage Liu Baorui (Chinese: 刘宝瑞)


Notable performers


*
Zhang Sanlu Zhang may refer to: Chinese culture, etc. * Zhang (surname) (張/张), common Chinese surname ** Zhang (surname 章), a rarer Chinese surname * Zhang County (漳县), of Dingxi, Gansu * Zhang River (漳河), a river flowing mainly in Henan * ''Zha ...
() is considered to have been one of the fathers of Xiangsheng. Zhang was born in Beijing in the late Qing Dynasty. His disciples include
Zhu Shaowen Zhu Shaowen (; 1829–1903), better known by his stage name Fear No Poverty (穷不怕), was a Chinese storyteller and xiangsheng performer, widely regarded as one of the earliest performers of the art. Born in Beijing, China, Zhu was the proté ...
, A Yantao, and
Shen Chunhe __NOTOC__ Shen may refer to: * Shen (Chinese religion) (神), a central word in Chinese philosophy, religion, and traditional Chinese medicine; term for god or spirit * Shen (clam-monster) (蜃), a shapeshifting Chinese dragon believed to create mi ...
. * A Yantao () better known by his
stage name A stage name or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...
A Er (阿二) or A Cier (阿刺二), was a Xiangsheng performer of
Manchu The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic peoples, Tungusic East Asian people, East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized Ethnic minorities in China, ethnic minority in China and the people from wh ...
descent. His disciples include En Xu, Gao Wenkui, Chun Changlong, and Shen Zhushan. A Yaotao was born in Beijing to a rich family of the Sumuru clan belonging to the
Eight Banners The Eight Banners (in Manchu language, Manchu: ''jakūn gūsa'', , ) were administrative and military divisions under the Later Jin (1616–1636), Later Jin and Qing dynasty, Qing dynasties of China into which all Manchu people, Manchu househol ...
. During his childhood years, he developed an interest in traditional
Chinese opera Traditional Chinese opera (), or ''Xiqu'', is a form of musical theatre in China with roots going back to the early periods in China. It is an amalgamation of various art forms that existed in ancient China, and evolved gradually over more tha ...
and experimented with several different vocal techniques. Later, his family came down in the world. In order to support his family, he studied under
Zhang Sanlu Zhang may refer to: Chinese culture, etc. * Zhang (surname) (張/张), common Chinese surname ** Zhang (surname 章), a rarer Chinese surname * Zhang County (漳县), of Dingxi, Gansu * Zhang River (漳河), a river flowing mainly in Henan * ''Zha ...
and became a second-generation Xiangsheng performer. *Shen Chunhe, better known by his
stage name A stage name or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...
Shen Er (沈二), told stories before performing Xiangsheng. He studied under Zhang Sanlu and became a second-generation Xiangsheng performer. His disciples include Wei Kunzhi, Wang Youdao, Li Changchun, Gao Wenyuan, Feng Kunzhi, and Yu Erfu. *Zhu Shaowen (1829–1903), known by his
stage name A stage name or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...
Qiongbupa (穷不怕), was one of the fathers of Xiangsheng. He was born in Beijing, and his ancestral home was
Shaoxing Shaoxing is a prefecture-level city on the southern shore of Hangzhou Bay in northeastern Zhejiang province, China. Located on the south bank of the Qiantang River estuary, it borders Ningbo to the east, Taizhou, Zhejiang, Taizhou to the south ...
,
Zhejiang ) , translit_lang1_type2 = , translit_lang1_info2 = ( Hangzhounese) ( Ningbonese) (Wenzhounese) , image_skyline = 玉甑峰全貌 - panoramio.jpg , image_caption = View of the Yandang Mountains , image_map = Zhejiang i ...
. Zhu was honored as one of the "Eight Oddities of Tianqiao" (天桥八怪). His disciples include Pinyouben, Fu Guizhen, Xu Changfu, and Fan Changli. *Hou Baolin *Ma Sanli *Liu Baorui () *Ma Ji * Chang Baohua * Ding Guangquan * Jiang Kun *
Hou Yaowen Hou Yaowen (; July 17, 1948 – June 23, 2007), or Hou Yuewen (), was a Chinese xiangsheng actor originally from Beijing. Throughout his life, he was a member of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, vice chairman of the Chinese Quyi ...
*
Guo Qiru Guo Qiru (; 1900 – 1969) was a Chinese xiangsheng performer. Biography On 12 April 1900, Guo was born in Beijing, to a poor family. He belonged to the Manchu ethnic group. He was educated in an old-style private school for about 6 years. ...
*
Dashan Mark Henry Rowswell, CM (born May 23, 1965), known by his Chinese stage name Dashan (), is a Canadian performer and television personality who gained prominence in China. He became known in the late 1980s through regular appearances on China C ...
(Mark Rowswell) *
Feng Gong Feng Gong (; born 6 December 1957) is a Chinese actor, xiangsheng performer, director, screenwriter and politician. He is best known for his performances in the annual CCTV New Year's Gala, having made more appearances on the show than every o ...
*
Guo Degang Guo Degang ( zh, s=郭德纲, p=Guō Dégāng) is a Chinese crosstalk (''xiangsheng'') comedian and actor. Guo's film appearances include '' The 601st Phone Call'', '' Just Another Pandora's Box'', and '' Mystery''. Guo has also directed the fi ...
*
Yu Qian Yu Qian (; 1398–1457), courtesy name Tingyi (廷益), art name Jie'an (節庵), was a Chinese official who served under the Ming dynasty. Under Emperor Yingzong, he worked in the Ministry of War, eventually becoming a vice minister. He distin ...
() *
Yue Yunpeng Yue Yunpeng (; born 15 April 1985) is a Chinese actor and ''xiangsheng'' performer, best known in film for portraying Zhu Tianpeng in ''Buddies in India'' (2017), Yue Yunpeng in ''Top Funny Comedian: The Movie'' and Li Shuaiting in ''Revenge fo ...
* Sun Yue () *
Feng Yi-kang Feng may refer to: *List of surnames written Feng, several Chinese surnames as transliterated from Mandarin **Féng (surname) ( 冯 féng 2nd tone "gallop"), very common Chinese surname **Fèng (surname) ( 鳳 fèng 4th tone "phoenix"), relatively ...
() *
Sung Shao-ching Sung may refer to: *Sung, Cambodia, commune in Samlout District, Battambang Province *Singing (past participle of the verb "to sing") Chinese history *Song (state) (宋) (11th century BC – 286 BC), a state during the Spring and Autumn period, a ...
() *
Lee Li-chun Lee Li-chun (; born 2 May 1952) is a Taiwanese actor and ''xiangsheng'' performer. Career Lee is known for his work on stage with , starring in ''Art (play), Art'' alongside Chin Shih-chieh and Ku Pao-ming in 2003. In 2005, Lee took the lead r ...
() * Li Mu (Liam Bates) () * Li Jindou


See also

*
Manzai is a traditional style of comedy in Japanese culture comparable to double act comedy. usually involves two performers ()—a straight man () and a double act, funny man ()—trading jokes at great speed. Most of the jokes revolve around mut ...
*
Rakugo is a form of Japanese verbal comedy, traditionally performed in '' yose'' theatres. (Bibliographyvolume 38(1)article
T ...
*
Shuochang ''Quyi'' ("melodious art") and ''shuochang yishu'' ("speaking and singing art") are umbrella terms for over 300 regional genres of traditional Chinese oral performing arts. ''Quyi'' is distinguished from ''xiqu'' (Chinese opera) by its emphasis ...
*
Kouji ''Kouji'' (), which can be translated literally as "mouth skill" or "skill of mouth" is a Chinese vocal mimicry performance art which utilizes the human speech organs to mimic the sounds of everyday life. When this vocal mimicry is combined with v ...
* Shulaibao *
Double act A double act (also known as a comedy duo) is a form of comedy originating in the British music hall tradition, and American vaudeville, in which two comedians perform together as a single act, often highlighting differences in their characters' ...
*
Pingshu ''Pingshu'' () or ''pinghua'' () refers to the traditional Han Chinese performing art of storytelling with no musical accompaniment. It is better known as ''pingshu'' in northern China and ''pinghua'' in southern China. Performing art Pingshu ...


References


External links


China Xiangsheng Online
() (Simplified Chinese)
Tianjin Xiangsheng Online
() (Simplified Chinese)
Comedians Workshop (based in Taiwan)
() (Traditional Chinese)
A Translation of a routine on "Learning Manchu"
by Lei Lin, Harvard University
Stifled Laughter: How the Communist Party Killed Chinese Humor, from Danwei.org
{{Authority control Stand-up comedy