Source:
Juck Zhang's "New Records of the Early Crisis" Volume I quotes: Qing, "Preface to Autumn Poetry": "Those who are good at ventriloquism in Beijing will have a large audience and set up an eight-foot barrier in the northeast corner of the hall. The ventriloquist sits in the barrier with a table, a chair, a fan and a ruler. "
The origin of ventriloquism:
Stomatology originated very early and can be traced back to ancient times. In order to hunt, people often imitate the cries of birds and animals to deceive and lure them, or drive away the hunted animals with threatening roar in order to catch them.
As for the "asking for directions by sound" at that time, it was to find and distinguish different roaring companions in the mountains. It is also the earliest language of human beings, but at that time, "asking for directions by voice" was only the predecessor of ventriloquism, not the real ventriloquism.
According to historical records, during the Warring States Period in 298 BC, there was a ventriloquism story of Meng Changjun who broke into Hangu Pass at night. The story that Meng Changjun's disciple learned the cock crow to make Meng Changjun escape from Hangu Pass is the earliest record of ventriloquism. It can be said that ventriloquism originated in the Warring States period and has a history of more than 2,300 years, but ventriloquism was not used in performances at that time.
The development of ventriloquism:
1, Tang and Song Dynasties:
During the Tang Dynasty, there was a social organization that specialized in training ventriloquists, called "Learning Phonology Society". There is a description of "learning like a music club" in Dream in Tokyo and Old Stories of Wulin.
The Song Dynasty is the prosperous period of ventriloquism, and the book Dream of China in Tokyo reflects the social life of Tokyo in the Northern Song Dynasty most completely and comprehensively. It is recorded in the book that the art of ventriloquism in the Song Dynasty was quite exquisite.
2. Ming and Qing Dynasties:
During the Ming Dynasty, Yu Chu continued Guo Maoer's ambition, and his main ventriloquism was the next-door play "Killing Pigs" and "Pigs Fighting for Food". In the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, the famous ventriloquist "Thrushcross Yang" was good at learning the songs of thrush birds and could answer them in the bushes. His performance "Two Birds Fighting for Food" personified two thrush birds and made a story performance. Its superb skills have amazed the capital and spread to this day.
In the Qing Dynasty, ventriloquism developed from simply imitating a certain sound to being able to use all kinds of sounds to form stories at the same time, which was listed as one of the "hundred plays", namely "oral play", commonly known as "next-door play". Its performances such as "military hunting" and "pigs fighting for food" are vivid.