ChineseComicDialogueIntroduction•XiangSheng(crosstalk)isatraditionalChinesecomedicandforemostperformance.•Usually,CrossTalk(Xiangsheng),featurestwomenhumorouslysparringbackandforth.Byvividandrichdescriptionsofcharactersandevents•Modernxiangshengismadeupoffourskills-•speaking(说),•imitating(学),•teasing(逗),•singing(唱).History•ItroseasaperformingactduringtheMingDynasty.•FromtheQingDynastytothe1920s,xiangshenggraduallydevelopedtobecomeastyleofcomedicmonologue.•Inearlyyears,streetcrosstalkersinBeijing'sTianQiaoareatoplay.•AlthoughBeijingwashometothecrosstalk,buttheportcityofTianjin,withitsproximitywasaplacewherecrosstalkersmustgotoperform.•Gradually,TianjinbecameaplacewhereanynewpieceshadtobefirstperformedandrecognizedbeforebeingstagedinBeijing.CrossTalker•TheearliestxiangshengcomedianknownbynameisZhangSanlu(张三禄),whoperformedinthemidnineteenthcentury.CrossTalkerMaSanliLiWenhuaHouBaolinShiFukuanHouYaowenDeYunShe•GuoDegangYUQianYueYunpeng