Chinese crosstalk

Chinese crosstalk

　Crosstalk¹, or xiangsheng in Chinese, is a kind of traditional Chinese art. Many Chinese people like crosstalk because it makes them happy. Crosstalk is like a talk show. It makes people laugh with jokes or funny questions and answers.

　Crosstalk has a long history. It first came out in North China and became popular in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Chinese crosstalk has three birthplaces²: Beijing Tianqiao, Tianjin Quanyechang and Nanjing Confucius Temple. It is from life and society, so it is very popular with people.

　There are three forms of crosstalk: Dankou Crosstalk, Duikou Crosstalk and Qunkou Crosstalk. Usually, there are two people playing in the crosstalk. One is to make fun with funny words, and the other is to help him or her make people laugh.

　All in all, crosstalk, the dialogue art, is an interesting invention of Chinese people. And it is a treasure³ in Chinese culture.

Notes:

1. crosstalk n. 相声 2. birthplace n. 发源地 3. treasure n. 珍宝