Xuanjuan is a folk storytelling art form developed from the "vulgar lectures" in temples during the Tang Dynasty. Jiashan Xuanjuan belongs to the Suzhou Xuanjuan type. According to the recollections of the old artist Jiang Fugen (1921-2002), Jiashan Xuanjuan was introduced from Suzhou and Wujiang in Jiangsu. Xuanjuan has been popular in Xitang Town, Jiashan County for nearly a hundred years. The performance forms of Jiashan Xuanjuan are divided into wooden fish Xuanjuan and silk string Xuanjuan. Wooden fish Xuanjuan was popular in the mid-to-late 19th century and was generally performed by two to three people. During the performance, the "upper couplet" is the protagonist of the Xuanjuan, and the "upper couplet" is responsible for the narration, performance and singing of the whole book. The male "upper couplet" wears a long gown, and the female "upper couplet" wears a cheongsam. When narrating and performing, the "upper couplet" often uses a folding fan or a handkerchief as a prop. When singing, the right hand holds a mallet to beat the two wooden fish or chimes in rhythm according to the melody, and the "lower couplet" uses the right hand to beat a long-handled bell, and the rhythm is twice as fast as the "upper couplet". In the early years, pilgrims who went to Hangzhou, Suzhou, Putuo Mountain and other places to burn incense had to take a hand-cranked boat for several days. In order to have a pleasant journey, a group of Xuanjuan masters were invited to sing Xuanjuan in the incense boat. Later, it developed to the occasion of giving gifts to young seedlings, worshipping brothers, Sanguanhui, birthdays, children's full-month haircuts, moving to a new house and other festive occasions to celebrate. The singing method of wooden fish Xuanjuan is relatively old, so it is of great significance to the study of the history of Xuanjuan. Silk string Xuanjuan became popular in the 1930s. It developed on the basis of wooden fish Xuanjuan and was accompanied by musical instruments. The musical instruments are generally a erhu (or Yuehu), a string (or Yueqin), a sheng or flute (only used at the opening), and a yangqin (or pipa). A band of four people is called "full class silk string Xuanjuan"; a band of two people is called "half class silk string Xuanjuan". The silk string Xuanjuan not only retains the characteristics of the wooden fish Xuanjuan, where one person is the "upper couplet" and the other is the "attached singer", but also develops this ancient art form into a folk art style with stronger artistic expression and easier to be accepted by the masses. The inheritors of Jiashan Xuanjuan include Gao Zhongying, Jiang Fugen, Yuan Yunfu, Shen Wangrong, Zhang Zhihe, etc. Gao Zhongying (deceased), formerly from Silu Village, Dashun Township, was the first person to introduce Xuanjuan from Jiangsu. He has sung dozens of books, such as "He Wenxiu", "Meng Lijun", "Jiang Xingge Reunites with the Pearl Shirt", "The Empty Seal Box", "The Iron Bow Fate", "The Qiantang Case", etc. Jiang Fugen (deceased), formerly from Zhuangwang Village, Dashun Township. In 1943, he began to learn to sing Xuanjuan while working as a long-term worker in Silu Village. In 1946, he opened his own Xinxing Society, and sang wooden fish Xuanjuan and silk string Xuanjuan successively, including more than a dozen books such as "The Birth of Tang Monk", "Butterfly Cup", and "Agarwood Fan". After the founding of New China, he adapted stories and operas into xuanjuan such as "The White-Haired Girl", "Fifteen Strings of Cash", and "A Silver Dollar". Yuan Yunfu (born in 1941) learned to sing xuanjuan from Gao Zhongying in the late period of the "Cultural Revolution". He once formed a xuanjuan class with Yuan Yuqi, Shi Aqi and four zither players, and sang new and old books such as "March 3", "He Wenxiu", "Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy", and "The Qiantang Case". At present, Yuan Yunfu performs regularly in Xitang tourist attractions. Xitang Zhang Zhihe Xuanjuan Class and Taozhuang Shen Wangrong Xuanjuan Class perform when there are red and white events among the people. Among them, Shen Wangrong was named a provincial folk artist in 2006. Jiashan Xuanjuan was included in the first batch of Jiaxing City's intangible cultural heritage list. Information source: Jiaxing City Library Information source: Jiaxing City Library