Like Yin and Ma, Guo is also from Tianjin but came to Beijing in the hope of pursuing a better career. However, he couldn't get enrolled into State-run troupes, and had to do various odd jobs to survive for a period of time.

Guo said he almost forgot about his own vocation, until one day he passed a teahouse where there was a xiangsheng show by some unknown performers.

From then on, he often went there to listen to the talks and later began to perform with them. That was in 1996.

The first years were very difficult for Guo. In the most embarrassing situation, there was only one person in the audience. Guo and his companions persisted. He did other works to support his performance.

Having studied xiangsheng since childhood, Guo found it very difficult to keep up with it.

"A master may trigger people to laugh with some words, but a student may not be able to do so even if he says exactly the same words," said Guo.

"There is something 'hi-tech' in it," he said.

If Yin and Ma represent the old and middle-aged generations of xiangsheng performers, 33-year-old Guo belongs to the young generation who are more adaptable to their times.

Apart from his performances, Guo writes a blog, has a website, has released an mp3 album, and hosts TV programmes to promote himself.

"Xiangsheng is in my blood," said Guo. "I'm full of gratitude to it, for all my other work benefits from it."

Today, the performances of his Deyun group have not only won acclaim from common fans, but have also attracted white-collar workers and people from cultural circles.

Busy with various invitations, Guo still has many plans, such as opening his shows at universities, compiling a collection of traditional xiangsheng works, and putting on a play in the style of folk comedy talk.

"Modern people are often under much pressure, and need to relax," said Guo. "Everybody can speak, but why do you pay to listen to me?

"Because I can make you happy with my xiangsheng," Guo said.

Fall and Rise of comic talk

Xiangsheng originated in Beijing in the second half of the 19th century, when the performers began to appear and attract audiences at the Tianqiao area of Beijing.

It is most commonly performed by two persons, though there are also solos or trios.

Beijing and Tianjin have been the two most important bases for the show. Beijing has given birth to such great performers as Hou Baolin (1917-1993), while Tianjin has contributed masters like Ma Sanli (1914-2003).

In the first half of the 20th century, xiangsheng was mainly performed in teahouses. After the founding of New China in 1949, most of the comedians were recruited into State-run performing arts troupes, and comic talk shows in teahouses gradually disappeared.

However, with teahouses mushrooming in recent years, there has been a revival.
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(China Daily 02/21/2006 page13)