Editor's Note: This article is produced in collaboration with the Chongqing Institute of Foreign Studies as part of a series of ongoing reports exploring the city’s abundant resources in intangible cultural heritage.

Guangyang Town in Nan’an District of Chongqing is the cradle of “Guangyang Folktales”, a national intangible cultural heritage of China.

Guangyang Town in Nan’an District of Chongqing is the cradle of “Guangyang Folktales”, a national intangible cultural heritage of China. “Guangyang Folktales” is the general term for the folk legends and stories widely spread in Guangyang Town.

Guangyang Town is located along the Yangtze River. Since ancient times, its ancestors have camped by green mountains, lived by the river, and made a living through hunting and fishing. They have nurtured and developed the long-standing folk culture of the Yangtze River Basin. As a result, the tradition of bǎi lóng mén zhèn (a local term for chatting or storytelling) became deeply rooted in the daily lives of local people. Through constant retelling, these captivating tales accumulated over time, making storytelling a defining feature of Guangyang.

In terms of content, Guangyang Folktales boast remarkable diversity and volume, with particularly well-preserved local legends and stories about the origins of local place names. Examples include myths describing natural phenomena, such as The Broken Drum Saves the Moon and Why the Rooster Crows at Dawn; tales explaining the origins of place names, such as The Origin of Guangyangba and The Chicken-Scratched Pit at Mingyuetuo; and numerous stories related to the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.

In 2014, Guangyang Folktales were listed in the fourth batch of national intangible cultural heritage. Today in Guangyang, storytelling has become a revitalized trend – a medium through which people promote and practice the core socialist values, further advancing social progress and fostering modern civilization. In addition to the regular performances held on days ending with 8 at the town’s Storytelling House, everyday life itself serves as a stage. Everyone can interpret the cultural values embedded in these folktales from their unique perspectives and share their own stories of Guangyang.

Chinese script: Li Xiaofei

Tutored by: Zhang Xuefeng

Translation: Yan Yu

Tutored by:  Gu Tiantian, Hu Wei

Voice-over: Luo Ying