Story-telling in Northern Shaanxi（陕北说书）:

In Chinese, it is pronounced as: shǎn běi shuō shū，Written as:

Story-telling in Northern Shaanxi is mainly popular in the northern parts of Shaanxi Province, China, including Yan’an and Yulin. Initially, it was performed by impoverished blind individuals using folk tunes from Northern Shaanxi to sing legendary stories. Over time, it incorporated elements from Meihu Opera, Qinqiang Opera, Daoqingxi Opera, and Xintianyou, eventually evolving into a form of narrative singing that tells lengthy stories.

The traditional performance style of Story-telling in Northern Shaanxi involves artists using the local dialect of Northern Shaanxi, holding and playing instruments like the sanxian or pipa, and alternating between singing and speaking to tell stories. The melodies of Story-telling in Northern Shaanxi are vigorous and rugged, yet melodious and ever-changing, famously described as having “nine melodies and eighteen tunes.” The lyrics are easy to understand, rich in everyday life, typically using lines of five or seven characters, though not strictly limited in length, which aids in reflecting the content of life depicted. The themes portrayed in Story-telling in Northern Shaanxi are marked with a strong sense of idealism, featuring rich melodies and a style that is expansive and passionate, embodying the distinct characteristics of Northern Shaanxi.

The origins of Story-telling in Northern Shaanxi are said to date back over 2,000 years to the slave society era, thriving during the late Qing dynasty and early Republican period. It is a branch of the narrative singing art “sanxian book” popular in northern China. Initially, some impoverished blind artists in Northern Shaanxi used folk tunes to narrate stories, often for rituals like summoning or sending off spirits. Later, they broadly incorporated tunes from Qinqiang Opera, Meihu Opera, and local styles like Xintianyou and Daoqingxi Opera, gradually forming a narrative singing art with a distinct Northern Shaanxi flavor.

Story-telling in Northern Shaanxi can be categorized into three types based on the content: scholarly tales, martial tales, and mixed tales.

Scholarly tales typically depict stories of noblemen in distress, maidens in love, villains achieving success, and downfall within elite families. These stories are characterized by strong plot, emotional appeal, complex developments, and lengthy narratives, excelling in embedding emotions within morals.

Martial tales often portray heroes saving beauties, righteous men defeating villains, and loyal subjects serving their country, with some adapted from martial novels. Martial tales feature vivid, typecast characters, exaggerated and intense atmospheres, and formulaic suspense and climaxes, culminating in predictable “happy endings.” They are known for their intense and dramatic content, simplicity in plot, and because martial tales make full use of the narrative art form, their entertainment value often exceeds their informative function.

Mixed tales, also known as half-scholarly, half-martial tales in the folk tradition, combine the strengths of both scholarly and martial tales. These stories are well-paced, blending the narrative style of scholarly tales with the fiery intensity of martial tales, making them the most popular among audiences and the main form of Story-telling in Northern Shaanxi.