From Beijing to Canada – Sharing Chinese Drum-Song Across Cultures
- overseascd
- 1 day ago
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【CMHnews Post】Learning Chinese Quyi with Me （2）
Writer：RenMei Wang
This issue briefly introduces the 6th
Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Drum-Song Artists’ Showcase
and explores new possibilities for
Chinese drum-song overseas.
In the first two articles of this column, we began by exploring “what Chinese Quyi is,” then moved closer to Jingyun Dagu and the beauty of Quyi. In this third article, I would like to share a meaningful traditional Quyi event: the 6th Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Drum-Song Artists’ Showcase and Special Performance by Senior Beijing Quyi Artists. This performance was not only a valuable artistic event, but also closely connected to our efforts in Canada to promote the overseas transmission, exchange, and continuation of Chinese traditional culture.
On the afternoon of April 26, 2026, Beijing time, the 6th Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Drum-Song Artists’ Showcase and Special Performance by Senior Beijing Quyi Artists was successfully held at the Anhui Guild Hall in Xicheng District, Beijing. This year’s event was co-hosted by the Zhongxing Qutan WeChat public platform and the China-Canada Traditional Culture Association, and co-organized by the Research Centre for Traditional Arts and Cross-Cultural Studies at Nankai University, Canada Times Weekly, and Times Media. The event welcomed nearly 200 guests and featured more than 20 senior Beijing Quyi artists, whose profound artistry and heartfelt expression once again showcased the enduring charm of traditional drum-song arts.
The program presented a wide range of traditional Quyi and drum-song genres, including Jingyun Dagu (Beijing-style Drum-Song), Xihe Dagu (Xihe Drum-Song), Danxian (Single-String Quyi Singing), Meihua Dagu (Plum Blossom Drum-Song), Tianjin Shidiao (Tianjin Folk Tune), Henan Zhuizi (Henan Pendant Fiddle Ballad), Dongbei Danchutou (Northeast Solo Comic Narrative), Lianhualuo (Lotus-Fall Folk Narrative Singing), and Beijing Quju (Beijing Qu Opera), accompanied by traditional instruments such as sanxian (three-stringed lute), sihu (four-stringed bowed fiddle), pipa (Chinese lute), zhuihu (bowed fiddle used in Zhuizi), daruan (large ruan lute), and sheng (Chinese mouth organ). The presentation of diverse genres, schools, and instruments on one stage reflected the richness, professionalism, and deep aesthetic traditions of Chinese Quyi.
This event is also one of the important cultural projects supported by the China-Canada Traditional Culture Association (CCTCA) as part of its broader mission to promote Chinese traditional culture overseas. Founded in Canada in January 2026, CCTCA is a community-based non-profit cultural organization serving communities, schools, arts institutions, and the broader public. Its mission is to strengthen cultural exchange between China and Canada, promote the international sharing of outstanding Chinese traditional culture, and support education and transmission related to intangible cultural heritage. CCTCA is committed to building cultural bridges among artists, educators, researchers, communities, and younger generations of learners.
From the Anhui Guild Hall in Beijing to communities in Canada, and from the stage of senior artists to classrooms for younger generations overseas, cultural transmission is not a one-way presentation, but an ongoing process of understanding, learning, exchange, and shared participation. Through supporting high-quality traditional arts events, the China-Canada Traditional Culture Association hopes to connect outstanding artistic resources in China with Canada’s multicultural society and promote the sustainable sharing of Chinese Quyi and traditional culture overseas.
Looking ahead, CCTCA plans to continue developing programs for Canadian communities, schools, and the broader public, including youth arts education, public lectures, artist exchanges, media columns, and community performances. We warmly welcome collaboration with arts funders, educational institutions, cultural organizations, and friends who share a passion for Chinese traditional culture, so that these traditions may be appreciated by more overseas audiences.
About the Author
Cheryl Wang｜Renmei Wang (Cheryl Wang) holds an M.A. in East Asian Studies from the University of Toronto. Based in Canada, she is a cultural advocate for Chinese Quyi and traditional performing arts, as well as a radio host and journalist. She has long studied and shared Chinese Quyi, with a focus on contemporary expression and cross-cultural exchange in multicultural settings. She has received cultural grant support through the Edmonton Arts Council and the Edmonton Heritage Council and has pursued advanced training in China under the guidance of professional Quyi artists specializing in Northern Chinese storytelling drum-songs. Cheryl is also the President of the China-Canada Traditional Culture Association (CCTCA), an organization dedicated to promoting Chinese traditional culture, education, and cultural exchange in Canada and beyond.
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