Pingshu (评书Pingshu (评书), the traditional Chinese art of storytelling, is a precious intangible cultural heritage with a history dating back more than 2,000 years.
Considered one of the most demanding disciplines in the performing arts, it relies on the talent of a single performer, who is able to embody multiple characters and vary their voice, rhythm, and emotion to bring an entire story to life.
In an ancient Chinese kingdom, King Zhouzhuang ruled wisely until the day his own son plotted to seize the throne. Rather than responding with violence, the king chose to pass on the values that had guided his reign. He entrusted his advisors with the mission of traveling throughout the kingdom to tell stories filled with wisdom and lessons. According to legend, this is how the art of Pingshu was born.
In 1957, archaeologists discovered a nearly 2,000-year-old tomb from the Eastern Han Dynasty in Chengdu. Among the objects unearthed were two famous statuettes of storytellers, depicted with a drum and a headband, in an expressive pose. This discovery is one of the oldest known records of the art of Pingshu and confirms that this tradition has been practiced for more than two millennia.