"Cross-talk needs innovation, however, the tradition should not be abandoned. Instead, we should learn the essence and spirit of traditional rules."

Renowned cross-talk artists, Jiang Kun, Feng Gong, Li Jindou expressed their views on the cross-talk at the opening ceremony of the eighth Tainjin Cross-talk Festival held on Sept 20 in Tianjin.

"Through 'continuous innovation', the art of Chinese cross-talk has constantly flourished. Performance forms such as the crude stage play and makeup cross-talk are the great innovation of the old days”, said Jiang.

"However, the foundation is still traditional cross-talk. We need be innovative, but based on the tradition", Jiang added.

Feng and Li also said that young cross-talk comedians should spend time in communicating with senior artists and learn excellent traditional comic dialogues.

Cross-talk, an art of coversation, is a popular form of comedy in China. It is warmly received by the audience maily due to two reasons: humor and sarcasm. Performers often satirize incompetent officials or use exaggerated stories to reveal social problems.

The opening ceremony of the eighth Tainjin Cross-talk Festival is held at Qianxiangyi Tea House, a piece of cultural relic of Tianjin, also known as “Home of Cross-talk”, which combines both western and eastern styles with its delicate decoration and natural pattern. [Photo/Xinhua]