ABSTRACT
The Origin and Development of huaben in Yangzhou Storytelling Already during the Tang dynasty (618-907) Yangzhou was an important commercial town and river port. As the economy developed further, the town also became a famous consumer city. During the reign of the Qianlong emperor (1736-96) of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), Yangzhou experienced a high tide of economic wealth and became the centre for theatrical arts for the whole country, a period when the art ofYangzhou storytelling [Yangzhou pinghua] was also in full bloom.
