Written records

The origin of Quyi goes way back in China's long history. In ancient times, both story telling and comic performances containing aspects of Quyi were widespread among the common people, while the most talented artists performed songs, dances and comedy routines, accompanied by the music of stringed instruments, in the palaces of the rulers and the mansions of the nobility.

By the Tang Dynasty (618-907), stories old and new flowed from story tellers' lips. Then tales from Buddhist scriptures, which were very popular, were added and sung to the prevalent daqu and folk tunes. All this gave impetus to the development of the storytelling and singing arts. From that time on, Quyi as an independent art form, took shape.

By the Song Dynasty (960-1279), the development of trade and the growth of cities and urban populations gave rise to the emergence of special venues for the performance of storytelling, and professional artists appeared on the scene. Various kinds of Quyi art forms, such as spoken guzici(versified storytelling to the accompaniment of a drum) and Zhugonghiao, reached a new peak. Books such as The Eastern Capital: A Dream of a Splendid Past by Meng Yuanlao and sights and Entertainment of the Capital city by Nai Deweng give detailed evidence of the development 0f quyi.

From the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911 ) dynasties to the early days of the Republic, the embryo of the capitalist economy and the increasing growth of cities greatly promoted advances in the arts of storytelling and singing on the one hand, rich and colorful local traditions of storytelling continually flowed into the cities from the surrounding areas. Overtime, the artistic level gradually matured. Examples are daoqing (chanting folk tales to the accompaniment of simple percussion instruments), lianhualuo, Fengyang huagu and bawangpian (clapper dancing).