Shuofang remembers its cultural heritage in ballad singing

The Wuxi Airport Economic Development Zone is a place beaming with pride about its history and culture, and not just its development as an economic powerhouse.

Also known as Shuofang subdistrict, the zone in the eastern city of Wuxi is home to tangible cultural assets such as the Zhaosi Hall, the residence of Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) scholar Cao Cha, and intangible cultural heritage such as Wuxi ballad singing.

People in Shuofang have a strong passion for quyi, a group of folk art forms that includes ballad singing, storytelling and cross-talking.

Originally known as "tales of karma", Wuxi ballad singing can be traced back to Emperor Jiajing's reign during the Ming Dynasty. Delivered in the Wuxi dialect, the ballads are mainly intended to bring out the kindness in people and persuade officials to be honest and upright.

From the 1970s to the 1980s, cultural activities were popular all across Shuofang. However, in the 1990s, industrial development took off and became the primary focus of the local government. This led to a severe shortage of funds for cultural activities and training in Shuofang.

The area's robust economic growth has created abundant material wealth for its residents. How to provide people with "food for the mind" has become a question facing the local government.

In 2008, the Shuofang subdistrict government rolled out a plan to advance cultural activities in Shuofang. A fund dedicated to cultural development was set up, channeling at least 300,000 yuan ($42,780) every year into organizing cultural activities for citizens and recruiting college graduates to work in local culture centers.

The Shuofang Culture Center, with an investment of more than 60 million yuan, opened in 2012. It currently houses a wide selection of facilities including a cinema, a library and an exhibition hall.

To encourage officials to invest more energy in the sector, Shuofang has incorporated cultural work into the year-end assessment of communities.

In November 2015, the Chinese Quyi Artists Association officially awarded Shuofang subdistrict the title of "China's capital of quyi".

To promote Wuxi ballad singing, Shuofang has set up the Wuxi Ballad Singing Heritage Exhibition Hall and Opera Culture Education Room to popularize the traditional art form.

The subdistrict has also opened the Daqiangmen Ballad Singing Hall, a performance venue, which invites renowned ballad singers as well as those from Zhejiang province and Shanghai to perform.

Daqiangmen Ballad Singing Hall has become a household name in Shuofang, drawing not only locals, but also people from other parts of Wuxi. "A lot of senior citizens come to the hall every day," a local official said.

Every year, Shuofang subdistrict provides the hall with a subsidy of over 100,000 yuan. The hall puts on some 350 performances a year. A ticket for a two-hour show as well as tea costs only 2 yuan.

Li Guosong, a ballad singer from Huzhou Quyi Troupe in Zhejiang province, is on a monthlong visit to Daqiangmen as a guest performer. The 53-year-old has been a ballad singer for 32 years.

"I have loved quyi since I was a child," Li said. "I feel very happy that I can do what I enjoy doing for a living."

He is currently performing Nanchang Uprising at Daqiangmen Ballad Singing Hall.

"We mustn't forget the hardships the older generations of revolutionaries went through. It's the responsibility of artists to let the audience know this part of history," Li said.

"Wuxi is known for its culture and the city has always attached great importance to quyi," Li said. "As the capital of quyi, Shuofang is very supportive of the sector's development. It has provided a great venue for performers, which is managed by dedicated personnel. This has helped foster an environment conducive to the protection and future development of traditional art."