"Singing news", also known as "gong and drum book", is an ancient folk art variety widely spread in Xiangshan County, Ningbo City, and surrounding Beilun, Yinzhou and other places, and its influence spreads to Daishan, Putuo and other places in Zhoushan City. The singing news in Xiangshan is all sung in Xiangshan dialect, and the content is all local customs and customs, so it is also called "Xiangshan singing news". News, in the old days, was called Chaobao. According to the "Xiangshan County Chronicles", "In the late Qing Dynasty, news was introduced to this county", which has a history of more than 100 years. There is also a folk art legend that singing news originated in the Southern Song Dynasty. At that time, there were 13 Xiangshan aspirants who used the Xiangshan dialect to call the wanderers back to their hometown. On the way, they absorbed the nutrients of folk art in Lin'an, Hangzhou, Shaoxing and other places, and gradually formed "singing news". The performance form of singing news is one person singing and accompaniment of gongs and drums. The lyrics are mostly seven sentences, and there are also long and short sentences, and double sentences rhyme. When singing, the artist carries a flower drum tube (sitting on the knee), holds a small gong in the left hand, holds the drum hammer between the little finger and the ring finger of the right hand, and holds the drum board with the thumb and index finger, and sings by himself. Sometimes two people hold the gong and drum separately and sing together. The traditional program long pieces include "Hanging Hair Ring" (originally created in Xiangshan), "Cage Box Record", "Jade Hand Pendant", "Returning the Gold Bracelet", "White Jade Belt", "Lu Delin Digging Wind Vine", etc.; the medium pieces include "Locking the Secret Affair of the Chlorophytum", "Three Counties Trial", "Medicine Dog Record", "Male and Female Bracelets", etc.; the short pieces include "Everyone Supports the Forty Articles", "Yu Yingen of Liyang Sugar Factory", "Xiu Di Nao Hai", etc. The earlier known news artists in Xiangshan were the blind artist "Hua Yan Ding" from Xiyan Village, Dongxiang Township, Xiangshan in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, as well as He Genben from Haidun Village, Xianxiang Town, Fu Tianlong from Datan Village, Tuci Town, and Zhou Chengfa from Diaoshuiyan Village, Qiangtou Town, who were known as the "Three Saints of News". They mainly sang traditional programs. In July 1952, the County Quyi Association was established, and the news artist Ye Rongbiao was elected as the chairman. The programs "Everyone Supports the Forty Articles" and "Brothers and Sisters" created and sung by Ye Rongbiao, Dong Shunfa and others participated in the Ningbo area and won awards. In the 1970s, Ye Shengjian and Li Suqin learned to sing news, mainly compiling and performing short programs reflecting real life themes, emphasizing popular and humorous language and vivid storylines, which were deeply loved by the masses. The programs "Chen Lao Da's Thoughts" and "Let the New House" have won national, provincial and municipal awards. In the late 1980s, with the popularization of modern communication media such as television, the number of viewers watching singing news has decreased, and many artists have changed their careers to find other ways out. In particular, the old artists are now old, and there are fewer and fewer young and middle-aged performing artists. Singing news is facing a severe survival crisis and urgently needs to be protected. Information source: Ningbo Cultural Center (Ningbo Exhibition Hall Ningbo Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center) (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.) Information source: Ningbo Cultural Center (Ningbo Exhibition Hall Ningbo Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center) (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.)