The art of painting pictures with words

Shaanbei storytellers He Lianshan (left) and Qiao Yangwen at the Yan'an Quyi Performance Theater, Shaanxi province, on Jan 8. [Photo by ZOU HONG/CHINA DAILY]

"I will ask everyone to sit still, and let me tell you a story about the fierce wind in my hometown," says He Lianshan, sitting in the center of the stage, holding his sanxian, a long-necked, plucked string instrument.

With a deep breath, He clears his throat and begins.

"In the spring, the wind blows warm and gentle. In the summer, the wind blows hot and dry. In the autumn, the wind blows cool and crisp. In the winter, the wind blows cold enough to freeze you solid," he sings, his face constantly shifting between playful and dramatic, capturing the character and intensity of the wind. His voice, rich, hoarse, and powerful, rises and falls in a rhythmic cadence, each word carefully shaped to evoke the wind in the city of Zichang, Shaanxi province.

Besides plucking the strings of his instrument, his hands move in the air as if he is painting pictures of the scenes described in his lyrics. The audience is captivated, hanging on his every word and note, laughing at his humorous portrayal.

A replica of the sanxian given as a gift by Chairman Mao Zedong to Shaanbei storyteller Han Qixiang and other musical instruments used in performances on display in the Yan'an Quyi Performance Theater museum. [Photo by ZOU HONG/CHINA DAILY]

Every week, the seasoned 58-year-old artist performs Shaanbei (northern Shaanxi) Shuoshu, a traditional form of oral performance art from Shaanxi province. The term shuoshu means storytelling, and this art form has deep roots in folk culture, particularly in rural northwestern China.

This ancient tradition requires neither stage nor props — just the raw energy of the storyteller's voice and the imagination of the audience.

He is a famous storyteller in Shaanxi who now lives in Yan'an, an important former revolutionary base in the province. One of his disciples, Xiong Zhuying, went viral on social media for performing Shaanbei storytelling during the opening of the second chapter of the Chinese video game Black Myth: Wukong, which became a global hit.

Since then, He's schedule has become busier. He performs all over the country to introduce the art form to a wider audience.

"I have more than 100 disciples, and Xiong has had the opportunity to take the art form to another level. I read many comments left by people on social media about how they are impressed by Shaanbei storytelling. Those who never heard of it express the wish to learn more about it. I am very excited, particularly because much of this new audience is young people," He says at the Yan'an Quyi Performance Theater. Quyi is a broad category of traditional performing arts that includes storytelling, xiangsheng (cross-talk), and kuaiban, a rapid rhythmic storytelling form accompanied by wooden clappers.

Photos of Han in the theater's museum. [Photo by ZOU HONG/CHINA DAILY]