The best of Datong in 96 hours

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Ox-bone shulaibao, which refers to rhythmic storytelling with a pair of ox scapulas, is one of the folk treasures in Datong. [Photo by Zhang Xingjian/chinadaily.com.cn]

If you're tired after a day of walking, take a seat and experience the magic of folk arts.

Ox-bone shulaibao, which refers to rhythmic storytelling with a pair of ox scapulas, is one of the folk treasures in Datong. Artists who perform it speak out verses rhymed with three plus three characters in the first line and four plus three characters in the next.

Ox-bone shulaibao is believed to have started before the Ming Dynasty, when people clapped on the shoulder bones of oxen or cows and told tales or jokes in simple verses. The art form was inscribed on the national intangible cultural heritage list in 2014 and has several branches in northern and southern China.