Xiangsheng (Comic Dialogue)

Xiangsheng took shape in the Qing Xianfeng and Tongzhi reigns and spread across northern China, flourishing above all in Beijing and Tianjin. It entered the second batch of national ICH in 2008, with Tianjin among the declaring regions.

Xiangsheng rests on the four skills of speaking, imitating, teasing and singing, usually performed as a duet that lands its laughs through built-up gags. Tianjin xiangsheng leans hard on the spoken word, excelling at satire with lively, richly humorous delivery all its own.

Tianjin is celebrated as a cradle and stronghold of xiangsheng, with teahouse performances rooted deep in daily life — one of the most representative forms of the city's storytelling-and-ballad culture.

Teahouses across Tianjin are the traditional setting for enjoying xiangsheng.