page_title: Xiangsheng
hierarchical_section_title: Xiangsheng
caption_attribution_description: 中文（中国大陆）‎: 天津名流茶馆的相声表演English: Crosstalk in tianjin
context_page_description: Xiangsheng, also known as crosstalk, is a traditional performing art in Chinese comedy, and one of the most popular elements in Chinese culture. It is typically performed as a dialogue between two performers, or rarely as a monologue by a solo performer, or even less frequently, as a group act by multiple performers. The Xiangsheng language, rich in puns and allusions, is delivered in a rapid, bantering style, typically in the Beijing dialect. The acts would sometimes include singing, Chinese rapping, and musical instruments.
  According to Canadian Xiangsheng comedian Dashan, the closest English Xiangsheng-equivalent is "Who's on First?", a sketch by Abbott and Costello.
context_section_description: Xiangsheng (simplified Chinese: 相声; traditional Chinese: 相聲; pinyin: xiàngsheng; lit.: 'face and voice'), also known as crosstalk, is a traditional performing art in Chinese comedy, and one of the most popular elements in Chinese culture. It is typically performed as a dialogue between two performers, or rarely as a monologue by a solo performer (similar to most forms of stand-up comedy in Western culture), or even less frequently, as a group act by multiple performers. The Xiangsheng language, rich in puns and allusions, is delivered in a rapid, bantering style, typically in the Beijing dialect (or in Mandarin Chinese with a strong northern accent). The acts would sometimes include singing, Chinese rapping, and musical instruments.
  According to Canadian Xiangsheng comedian Dashan (Mark Rowswell), the closest English Xiangsheng-equivalent is "Who's on First?", a sketch by Abbott and Costello.
caption: Xiangsheng performers in a Tianjin theater.
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