Sheng Xiaoyun, a renowned pingtan artist, and her younger-generation co-performers from Suzhou, Jiangsu province, stage two performances at the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing on Saturday and Sunday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The novel has been adapted into various forms of art including Suzhou pingtan, which combines singing and storytelling by two performers, normally a man and a woman, who also play traditional musical instruments, such as pipa, in accompaniment to their performances on stage.

Pingtanfirst emerged in Suzhou, the prosperous city in Jiangsu province, and spread to neighboring areas, for the rich emotions and pleasant singing in the soft Suzhou dialect.