A regional theatrical genre native to Shanghai, Suzhou, and the Jiangnan region, performed mostly in Wu-dialect Chinese. Developed in the early 20th century from street comedy 'wenmingxi' (
文明戏) and 'duju' (
独脚戏, solo comedy). Famous performers include Yao Mushuang (
姚慕双) and Zhou Bochun (
周柏春). Distinct from northern
相声 (xiàngsheng, crosstalk).
