Listed as one of Guangdong’s intangible cultural heritages, the tradition of gong gu (storytelling) originally took place in temples and featured fables exhorting people to greatness. A folk art born in northern China, there are no records about how it made its way south, though many believe Liu Jingting, the royal adviser of General Zuo Yuliang of the Ming Dynasty, sowed the seeds of its popularity.
As recently as the 1960s, the practice enjoyed a blossoming following in the City of Flowers, with many podiums erected in tea houses, parks and on streets around the Delta. It was during this period that gong gu lou started to recite stories adapted from folk tales and classic Chinese novels. Conveyed in plain Cantonese, the common man was able to hear the epic martial episodes of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, mythologized ancient history from Creation of the Gods and noble undertakings of royalty related in Emperor Qianlong Tours the South.
Working class citizens comprised the majority of audiences. Back in the old days, when means of entertainment were limited, gong gu was viewed as a preferable method of relaxation after a day of hard work. Using oral narration paired with exaggerated gestures, skilled gong gu lou could vividly convey the actions of males and females, adults and children, upright gentlemen and insidious villains. “One minute on stage requires 10 years of effort,” so the ancient Chinese saying goes, and gong gu certainly proves the truth of the maxim.
Fees for hearing stories were charged during the intervals. As no fixed payment was set, gong gu lou could end up earning very little from an exhausting show. This contributed to the fading of the profession. In 1996, the most popular gong gu podium in Guangzhou Cultural Park was demolished. Five years later, the last storytelling stage in the city was closed – by 1998, there was already only one professionally trained gong gu lou, Yan Zhitu, who regularly continued to perform.
The risk of losing this time-honored folk art finally attracted public attention in the early 2000s. In 2003, the municipal government began working with local media to sustain gong gu. Yan Zhitu started to enroll students and his pupil, Chen Zhou, established a website called Guangdong Shuoshu, in order to promote the traditional art form. By 2009, a podium was once more erected within Liwan District’s Culture Park; a gong gu show is put on there every Saturday at around 3pm. Those who pause to listen will be told stories from thousands of years ago, brought to life by a single man and his words.
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