Cultural Tourism News: Yuan-style Pingshu Storytelling Comes to Campus

China Times Chinese News online (Reporter Feng Ganyong) – On November 2 and 3, 2023, a cultural tourism event themed ‘Cultural Masters Enter Campus’ – Yuan-style Pingshu Special Performance was held in Zhuozhou, Hebei Province. It was hosted by the Publicity Department of the CPC Zhuozhou Municipal Committee, and organized by the Zhuozhou Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Zhuozhou Education and Sports Bureau, Zhuozhou Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism Bureau, and the Yuan Tian Pingshu Art Studio.

The event aimed to respond to and implement the call for literary and art workers to strengthen cultural consciousness and sense of mission, to deeply excavate, refine, and sublimate the essence of traditional culture, promote Chinese aesthetic style, and shoulder the new cultural mission of the new era. By performing at the grassroots level, it sought to help children understand traditional ethnic culture, ignite their passion for it, enrich traditional culture’s presence, guide the young to carry forward the national cultural genes.

Yuan-style Pingshu is a national intangible cultural heritage project, founded by the renowned Pingshu master Mr. Yuan Kuocheng. Throughout his life, Mr. Yuan was devoted to traditional ethnic culture, keeping pace with the times, emphasizing in-depth exploration, and balancing tradition with innovation. He was a pioneer and representative figure in the New China Pingshu circle for performing new stories, and made special contributions to the development of Pingshu in New China.

Ms. Yuan Tian, daughter of Yuan Kuocheng, is the national intangible cultural heritage inheritor and representative bearer of Beijing (Yingkou) Yuan-style Pingshu. She upholds her father’s artistry and artistic integrity, taking the transmission of traditional culture as her own mission. Over two days, she led ten Yuan-style disciples—Sui Xijun, Shi Jiaxing, Gao Shan, Wang Mingjun, Sheng Lin, Han Yongqing, Liu Liting, Song Gen, and others—to visit Lintun School, Lintun Central School, and National Affairs Primary School under Lintun Central School in Zhuozhou, putting on three consecutive performances.

Well-prepared, Ms. Yuan Tian and her disciples blended traditional storytelling art with classic red stories, showcasing the unique style and charm of Pingshu to the children. While enjoying the exquisite art, the young audience also experienced a spiritual baptism. The performances won unanimous praise from teachers and students.

Ms. Yuan Tian stated: ‘Prospering the traditional art of Pingshu is the responsibility and commitment of the Yuan school. For the rest of my life, I will continue to promote Pingshu art in schools, doing my part to carry forward Chinese cultural genes and advance the great goal of cultural confidence and strength.’