Hangzhou Xiao Rehun

Author: Chen Jianyi / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: Hangzhou Xiaorehuun is a folk narrative-singing art that originated on the streets of Hangzhou and had a certain influence in Hangzhou, Shanghai, Suzhou, and other regions. Nowadays, when people mention "Xiaorehuun," they often associate it with "selling pear butter candy." In fact, although there are various theories about the origins of Xiaorehuun, the most widely accepted one traces back to the "reciting morning newspapers" on the streets of Hangzhou in the late Qing Dynasty. As the name implies, "morning newspapers" were sold in the morning, mostly local Hangzhou newspapers, covering news from the local area and other places. Due to the limitations of printing technology at the time, these newspapers were stone-printed, resulting in poor quality. To attract readers and lure passersby to buy newspapers, many vendors would beat small gongs and recite the main news from the newspapers in familiar Hangzhou dialect. Over time, people came to call this unique form of selling newspapers "reciting morning newspapers."
The most recognized pioneer of Hangzhou Xiaorehuun, who had a significant impact on later generations, was the renowned artist Du Baolin. Du Baolin did not come from an artistic family; his father ran a wooden fish shop in Hangzhou's Bi Jiao Lane, but Du Baolin had a natural affinity for arts and was not interested in inheriting his father's business. Around 1904, he learned to sing folk songs from the wandering artist Chen Changsheng (stage name Madeli) from Suzhou. Later, when Du Baolin saw that the "reciting morning newspapers" format was too monotonous and had no significant success, he added "singing" to the "reciting." Using the folk tunes he had learned before, he combined the news from the newspapers and self-composed and performed programs, evolving "reciting morning newspapers" into "singing and reciting morning newspapers." This enriched the performance style and naturally attracted many people's attention.
Because the "singing and reciting morning newspapers" format was lively, humorous, witty, and featured folk tunes that were easy for the masses to enjoy, this new "reciting news and singing morning newspapers" style quickly gained popularity among the people. At that time, Hangzhou had a saying: "Big businesses open shops, small businesses sell candy." Street performers of Xiaorehuun often relied on selling pear butter candy as their livelihood. Du Baolin tried to adapt this singing-and-reciting form, which was close to the people, to the act of selling pear butter candy. This approach of singing and reciting while selling candy not only provided more flexibility in timing but also increased his income significantly compared to selling newspapers. From then on, this beloved folk singing-and-reciting form became inseparably linked with selling pear butter candy.
In fact, the practice of using singing to promote candy sales is not unique to the south; it is also common in the north to sell goods by reciting songs while walking along the streets. Today, in some northern areas, vendors push carts or carry burdens, reciting songs based on the characteristics of the goods they sell while moving, becoming a unique sight in folk cultural traditions. According to some qiyi (Chinese folk narrative-singing) scholars, selling pear butter candy through singing and reciting was seen in the early days, but it was merely a promotional method for selling candy. It was different from the independent singing-and-reciting form of Xiaorehuun pioneered by Du Baolin, which included reciting news.
According to the customs of the candy-selling industry, selling candy through singing is divided into two types: "literary selling" and "martial selling." "Literary selling" refers to candy vendors, to attract customers, boiling candy while grinding medicine, reciting rhyming songs during the process, such as "A pack of ice flakes hangs pear butter, two medicinal flavors scented spices; hawthorn and malt aid digestion, Schisandra treats children's coughs," etc. The lyrics mainly focus on promotional phrases about the medicine, properties, and effects of pear butter candy. Moreover, the selling locations are relatively fixed, and this "literary selling" form is not closely related to artistic performance. "Martial selling," on the other hand, involves boiling pear butter candy in advance, making it into finished products, and then performing songs and jokes in the streets to attract buyers. At this time, "martial selling" is often done by a single performer, with equal emphasis on singing and storytelling. The singing is primarily folk tunes, accompanied by small gongs, sanqiao ban (also known as sanqiaoban), and other instruments to enhance the atmosphere. The storytelling mainly involves humorous anecdotes from ancient and modern times, commonly referred to as "small selling mouths." Compared to the fixed locations of "literary selling," "martial selling" artists often wander and perform in Zhejiang, Shanghai, and Suzhou.
Based on existing materials, we can roughly infer that the earliest candy sellers were Ying Guishan and Zhao Afu (stage name Tian Gong Ci). Later, Chen Changsheng had a significant influence. Some researchers claim that Chen was a disciple of Ying Guishan, while others believe Chen was a student of Zhao Afu. Of course, it is also possible that Chen learned from both. Du Baolin of Hangzhou once studied under Chen Changsheng in his early years. He was diligent and talented, inheriting much of his teacher's singing style. In 1911, after parting ways with his teacher in Suzhou, Du Baolin returned to Hangzhou and began his career as an independent singer and pear butter candy seller. He performed alone, combining singing and storytelling, using various small gongs for accompaniment. At this time, his singing was still a means of earning a living. P3-5