Er ren zhuan
Er ren zhuan (Chinese: 二人转) is a genre of local folk dance and song from Northeast China. It usually consists of two people, a boy and a girl. They sing as well as dance, using folded fans or red square handkerchiefs (which are twirled along as a song is performed) during the dancing portion. It is very popular due to its humorous dialogue and sketches, which have eclipsed the old dances and songs.
Er ren zhuan is now becoming better known in the rest of China, because many er ren zhuan performers have performed on television, as well as act in TV serials; Zhao Benshan is the most famous example.
Popular routines include "Fowling", "Selling Thread", "Reward for Detective Dee's Deeds", "Ancient City", "Blue Bridge Tryst", "Romance of the West Chamber", "At Ba Bridge", "Shuangsuo Mountain", "Huarong Pass", "Palace", "Baohao", "Pandao", "Chanyu Temple" and "Spring Trip of Miss Yang the Eighth".
After the foundation of the People's Republic of China, the government cared for and supported the prosperous development of er ren zhuan, organizing training courses for both old artists and new learners. It invites old artists to pass on their art to the new learners, and organizes performers of er ren zhuan to watch each other perform and learn from one another, which leads to more improvements of the art form.