The arts world can be difficult to navigate. But newbies and those who want to brush up their knowledge, our performing arts series has got you covered. Ahead of Chinese New Year, we look at pingtan, a traditional style of performance unique to southeastern China, which has been listed as part of the country’s intangible cultural heritage
When the Hong Kong City Hall opened in 1962, it ushered a new era in the city’s cultural scene. And one of the early acts held shortly after the launch was a performance of pingtan by Shanghai Pingtan Troupe, the first performing arts group from mainland China to grace the newly opened hall’s stage.
Originated in Suzhou, southern China, during the Qing dynasty (1644-1912), pingtan, which derives its name from “storytelling” (ping in Chinese) and “plucking strings” (tan in Chinese) was one of most popular forms of public entertainment usually held in teahouses and parks. The performances featured a form of storytelling through reciting, singing, acting and playing Chinese string instruments such as pipa.
Legend has it that when Qing dynasty emperor Qianlong (1711-1796) visited Suzhou, he summoned pingtan artist Wang Zhou-shi to play for him. Wang gained fame for his performance in front of the royal audience and he set up a pingtan school soon after, helping make this art form more popular. In its heydays in the 1940s, there were more than a hundred pingtan theatres on Shanghai’s Nanjing Road.
Unlike an ensemble or orchestra, pingtan is known for its minimalist format, and can be performed with a solo actor. The most common combination is a pair, in which one of the players tells the story—usually of the rise and fall of kingdoms, legendary love stories and so on—while the other plays the instrument. In the past, women weren’t encouraged to perform in front of the public, but in recent times, things have changed. In 2016, Suzhou Pingtan School, the only officially recognised pingtan school in China, even staged an all-female pingtan performance for the TV.
Traditionally, the performances would usually last for a few hours, though in later periods, one-hour shows also emerged. “While the duration is still long, the story is presented in one go,” says Gao Bowen, the director of Shanghai Pingtan Troupe. “It’s like going to a movie.”
However, in 1970s and 1980s, the rise of TV shows caused pingtan’s popularity to decline somewhat. Also, as pingtan is only performed in Suzhou dialect, Gao says it was challenging to relate to younger generations, many of whom no longer spoke regional dialects. On the brighter side, in 2006, this art form was listed in The National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of China, which helped boost its popularity.
At Suzhou Pingtan School, meanwhile, it’s mandatory for students to learn the Suzhou dialect. The Shanghai Pingtan Troupe, which recruits the school’s top students and trains them to become professional actors, has also recently been translating the dialect into simplified Chinese surtitles in the hope of reaching a wider audience.
