Kuaiban literally means
fast boards. It is also known as
kuai shu, literally meaning
fast books. In
Beijing dialect, the art form is known as
kuaibanr. "Kuaiban" is a performance that highly emphasize on “repetition”; in each performance, the rhythm is the same. Its name refers to
bamboo clappers, a set of small bamboo boards or bones, which the performer rattles to produce an accompanying beat (similar to
rapping).
Bamboo has a special sacred meaning. In Chinese tradition culture, bamboo symbolizes the elasticity, longevity, happiness and spiritual truth of life. It is used as a writing instrument in all parts of the East; for Buddhist and Taoist writers and artists, the straight lines and hollow structure of bamboo have extremely profound symbolic meanings. The free rhyming style is called "flower point". The line should have seven words. This rule, however, is not strictly followed if the rhythmic beat and rhyme coincide to allow more words or fewer words. ==History==