Suzhou Pingtan

Suzhou Pingtan is a traditional storytelling and ballad singing art performed in the Suzhou dialect. It combines three elements: shuochang (narration and singing), biaoyan (performance), and yinyue (music). Performers typically accompany themselves on the pipa or sanxian. Stories are often drawn from Chinese classics, historical romances, and folk tales, with performances that can span weeks for a single epic.