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Tanci

Epic and Heroic Narrative

Tanci is a narrative form of song in China that alternates between verse and prose, its name meaning plucking rhymes for the singing of verse portions to a pipa; a line of tanci is usually seven words long, occasionally ten. Local forms include Suzhou Tanci, Yangzhou Tanci, Siming Nanci and Shaoxing Pinghudiao, and the three most celebrated works in the form are Chen Duansheng's Zaishengyuan, Tao Zhenhuai's Tianyuhua and Qiu Xinru's Bishenghua.

Facts
Place of Origin
Jiangnan region, lower Yangtze River Valley, China 1
Notable Example
Zaishengyuan ("Lovers through Time") by Chen Duansheng 1
Defining Trait
Alternates between verse and prose, sung to pipa accompaniment 1
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Tanci - Wikipedia
  • History section, opening sentence
    Historically tanci was a popular art form with women in the lower Yangtze River Valley, specifically the Jiangnan region.
  • Lead section, sentence naming the three most famous tanci
    The three most famous tanci are the Zaishengyuan ("Lovers through Time") by Chen Duansheng, Tianyuhua ("A Rain of Flowers") by Tao Zhenhuai, and Bishenghua ("Flowers from her Brush") by Qiu Xinru.
  • Lead section, opening sentence
    Tanci is a narrative form of song in China that alternates between verse and prose.
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