The Precious Scroll of Watermelons in the Modern Performance Tradition of ‘Telling Scriptures’ in Changshu County, China

Abstract

The Precious Scroll of Watermelons (the earliest known manuscript is dated 1867) is a representative example of narrative texts used in the scroll recitation practices of southern Jiangsu since the nineteenth century. It uses a subject widespread in folklore to propagate belief in Bodhisattva Guanyin, a popular Buddhist deity, and thus it combines indoctrination with didacticism and entertainment. A comparison of several variants of the Precious Scroll of Watermelons (falling in between 1867 and 1989) demonstrates the evolution of its functions and cultural meaning in the modern practice of precious scrolls recitation, taking ‘telling scriptures’ of Changshu as an example.