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Photo: Diego Tirira from Quito, Ecuador, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Pingtan is a traditional narrative singing art that spread from Suzhou in the mid-19th century. It is a combination of "Pinghua" (storytelling without singing) and "Tanci" (storytelling with singing). Usually, one or two artists perform on stage, accompanied by traditional Chinese musical instruments: the pipa (a four-stringed lute) and the sanxian (a three-stringed lute). Artists tell classic Chinese folk tales, historical stories and daily life anecdotes in soft Shanghai or Suzhou dialect, with gentle and melodious tunes. The performance atmosphere is quiet and elegant, and many local people like to listen to Pingtan in teahouses while drinking tea. Tourists can find authentic Pingtan performances at Xiangyin Shuyuan (a famous Pingtan performance venue) and cultural teahouses in Shanghai, experiencing the gentle cultural charm of regions south of the Yangtze River.
Pingtan, also known as Suzhou Pingtan, is a regional variant of quyi and a popular musical/oral performance art form in the Jiangnan region of China, encompassing southern Jiangsu, northern Zhejiang, and Shanghai. Originating from Suzhou, it is a blend of the Chinese narrative musical traditions of pinghua and tanci, with roots tracing back to the Song dynasty and influences from Wuyue culture.