The balance of traditional culture transmission and innovation in the “telling scriptures and scroll recitation” in the Changshu area of Changshu city in Jiangsu province, China

江苏常熟一带的传统文化传承与经文讲唱创新

Rostislav Berezkin 白若思

In this paper I analyze innovations that took place in “telling scriptures” performance art in the Shanghu area of Changshu city in Jiangsu province after its revival in the 1980s-1990s. These encompass three aspects: (1) the changes in organization, length, and elements of assemblies, (2) the composition of new texts and revision of old texts which also correspond to the changes in the structure of assemblies, (3) the growing entertaining aspect of performances. I analyze all of these aspects of innovations according to the information provided by the hereditary performer of “telling scriptures” Yu Dingjun, whom I visited and interviewed in Changshu in 2011. I pay special attention to the issue of the revision and composition of the new texts intended for performances in the changing cultural and social context of modern Changshu, these activities being the special features of Yu Dingjun’s performative style if compared with the style of majority of “telling scriptures” performers in the nearby areas.