Art of Quyi flourishes in Shandong

In Huji town, located in Huimin county in East China's Shandong province, residents gather every evening in a shu chang – a small venue or an open space where different forms of spoken art take place – to enjoy the charms of traditional storytelling and performance art, called quyi.

The town has combined various resources to offer a great array of activities to enhance the morale and spiritual and cultural well-being of residents. The 2023 Yellow River Culture and Arts Festival, which kicked off in Huji on Aug 2 and run for two weeks, featured a new-era artistic rendition called the Land of Quyi · Summer Shu Chang.

The Summer Shu Chang was closely related to people's daily lives, as seen in the classic story of the Xue family fighting for their country.

The event also featured a teach-in that used quyi to depict national unity stories, promoting solidarity and engaging many enthusiastic participants.

Masters of quyi present captivating performances on a fine summer evening. [Photo provided for chinadaily.com.cn]

According to Luo Chunting, a member of the publicity department in Huji town, the folks there will continue cultivating their rich traditional culture and carrying out special activities to enrich people's lives.

They aim to guide people in learning about and passing on the nation's cultural traditions – enhancing cultural confidence and nurturing the leading trends of civilization in the new era. (Edited by Zhou Yunlai)