The History of Shuochang

Development in History

The history of shuochang goes way back in time. Records on ancient scrolls showed its development could be divided into five phases: inception → growth → prosperity → transformation → mature.

Inception｜Era: Han Dynasty

In 1957 and 1964, two ‘shuochang terra cottas’ were unearthed in Sichuan province. Academics believed the two shuochang terra cottas were burial artifacts for Emperor Ling of Han. This indicated as early as the Easter Han era, there were professional shuochang artists, and it also proved the inception of shuochang in Han dynasty.

Growth｜Era: Tang Dynasty

The art of shuochang had its growth period in Tang dynasty. ‘Su Jiang,’ ‘Shuo Hua,’ ‘Su Fu,’ and ‘Can Jun Xi’ were different types of folk performances that played a huge role in shaping shuochang.

Su Jiang: refers to the preaching of Buddhist scriptures and telling of Buddhist stories that were made easier for commoners to understand

Shuo Hua: refers to the telling of stories, similar to storytelling and pingshu; topics were varied in different performances

Su Fu: refers to ancient literatures, after editing and rewriting to make them more understandable to commoners. Its composition is mostly with four rhyming verses, and the topics are usually folk tales

Can Jun Xi: also known as Da Can Jun or Nong Can Jun, a special form of performing art that was exclusive to Tang dynasty. Its performance includes elements such as teasing and setting, similar to those in a cross talks performance. That’s why some people see Can Jun Xi as the predecessor of cross talks.

Prosperity｜Era: Northern and Southern Song Dynasties

During both Song dynasties, it was also the time when the art of shuochang flourished. The varieties of shuochang grew exponentially, and performances could be seen from imperial palace to rural markets. It was like a national favorite at that time.

Transformation｜Era: Jin, Yuan Dynasties

The development of shuochang was hindered by restrictions placed by the ruling elite in both Jin and Yuan dynasties. However, this art that flourished in Song dynasty had built up a strong base, and it was with such a strong base that shuochang was able to transform in this restrictive era. New performances such as ‘Ping Hua,’ ‘San Qu,’ ‘Tan Ci,’ and ‘Zhu Gong Diao’ surfaced. ‘San Qu’ was very representative of shuochang in this ear, and it was most popular in the northern regions of the empire, so it was also called ‘Bei Qu.’ ‘San Qu’ came from the Long-Short verses of Song dynasty, and it has a profound effect on the development of drama and shuochang.

Mature｜Era: Ming, Qing Dynasties

Ming and Qing dynasties represent an era where the art of shuochang marched into its maturity phase. The art of shuochang, or anything that was spoken, sung, or a combination of both, flourished and matured in this era.The art of shuochang received injections of new blood during the reign of emperors Kang Xi, Yong Zheng, and Qian Long, such as ‘Zi Di Shu’ and ‘Ba Jiao Gu,’ which were sung by Manchu soldiers, and ‘Tan Ci’ created many famous female writers.
The nearly one-hundred-year time span from emperor Dao Guang to the beginning of Republic of China captured the prospering of shuochang from north to south. Performances sprung out across the nation, and it was truly a flourishing period for the art of shuochang.

Development in Taiwan

The development of shuochang in Taiwan started near the end of Ming and the beginning of Qing dynasties. Immigrants from southern Fujian and eastern Guangdong brought ‘Jin Ge,’ which was the seed of shuochang in Taiwan. ‘Jin Ge’ originated in southern Fujian, and it was derived from folk songs of the people. ‘Ge Zai’ of Taiwanese shuochang and ‘Jin Ge’ from southern Fujian both share the same roots of southern Fujian folk songs for singing and telling stories.

‘Ge Zai’ is the name for shuochang in early Taiwan. People called storytelling songs ‘Nian Ge Zai.’ ‘Nian Ge’ is a form of Quyi that uses traditional Taiwanese opera to tell a story. ‘Nian Ge’ in early times was mainly singing. Between 1950’s ~ 1960’s, ‘talking’ and ‘singing’ have become equally important parts of ‘Nian Ge.’

The following are four representative tunes of ‘Nian Ge’:

Street tune: This tune was mostly used by people selling medicine on the street, and hence it was coined ‘street tune’ or ‘medicine peddling tune.’ Seven words tune: In ‘Seven words tune,’ there are four verses in a song, and seven words in a verse. This tune carries a strong Taiwanese local flavor, and it is an integral component of Taiwanese opera. Du Ma tune: This tune originated from Du Ma Village, Zhangzhou, Fujian province. Its performance is mainly about local folk songs. Since the tune was introduced by Du Ma Performing Group, it was coined Du Ma tune. Free tune: It is a tune performed by reciting rapidly accompanied by a fast beat. Its contents are very descriptive and there are no restrictions on the length of the verses. The melody changes with respect to highs and lows of the intonation. Since there is not a preset tune, it is often used to describe a long story.

Text: Andrew, Howard, the Original Artsy Shuochang Posse │ Source: Epochtimes.com, NTU Library