Dai Zhangha (Sung Storytelling)

Dai zhangha is a traditional folk quyi art of the Dai, found chiefly among the Dai communities of Xishuangbanna and performed in sung storytelling. In 2006 it was declared by the Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture and entered the first national ICH list under quyi (item Ⅴ-44).

Zhangha performers, called zanha, sing extempore at festivals, weddings and Buddhist offerings, turning speech into song and weaving verses to fit the occasion; face half-hidden behind a fan, voice full of feeling, to the accompaniment of flute and drum, they recount Dai history, legend and moral life.

Zhangha is the vessel through which the Dai pass on history and culture, hailed as a living encyclopedia of the people, irreplaceable in preserving their oral literature and musical tradition.