Pingtan, which is normally heard in teahouses on the riverbanks in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, will soon be staged at a concert this Sunday in Shenzhen, presented by the Shanghai Pingtan Troupe.

The concert, titled "Lin Huiyin," centers on Chinese architect Lin Huiyin (1904-1955). Lin and her husband Liang Sicheng both worked as founders and faculty in the newly formed Architecture Department of Northeastern University in Shenyang in 1928 and as professors in Tsinghua University in Beijing after 1949. The couple began restoration work on cultural heritage sites of China in the early 20th century, a passion that Lin would pursue to the end of her life.

Pingtan, also known as Suzhou pingtan, is a regional performance art popular in the southern areas of the Yangtze River, including Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou and Nanjing. It dates back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and combines singing and storytelling in the Wu dialect. It usually involves two performers: one male and one female, who play the traditional musical instruments, sanxian and pipa, in performances at teahouses or small theaters. Unlike other traditional Chinese opera forms, which have high-pitched singing, pingtan performers usually sing in soft voices.

Pingtan's contents are rich, though the form is simple. Storytelling, joke cracking, music playing and aria singing are the performing techniques, while reasoning, tastes, unexpectedness, interest and minuteness are the artistic features. Adding to the old classics, new pingtan works include modern takes on old stories and adaptations based on social events or topics.

Time: 8 p.m., April 18

Tickets: 80-380 yuan

Booking: WeChat account "GuangmingArtCenter"

Venue: Guangming Culture and Art Center, Guanguang Road, Guangming District (光明区观光路光明文化艺术中心)

Metro: Line 6 to Fenghuang Town Station (凤凰城站), Exit B