Nanjing Baiju

Nanjing Baiju is an old quyi form of the Nanjing region, said to have grown from the singing of Yunjin loom workers; its name comes from the amateurs who would 'set up a round' for free, and it dates back several centuries.

Sung in pure Nanjing dialect and laced with local idiom, it draws its tunes from Ming-Qing popular songs and takes its lively, humorous material from everyday street life.

Listed in the second national batch in 2008 under quyi, it is an important carrier of the Nanjing dialect and its everyday urban culture.