Recitation of baojuan (precious scrolls), also known as «scroll recitation» (xuan juan), is a traditional genre of prosimetric story-telling in the Suzhou area of Jiangsu, still remains understudied in China and beyond. «Scroll recitation» in this area can be traced back to the XVI century, but became especially popular in the late XIX– early XX centu-ry. Here I undertake an attempt to characterize the trajectory of develop-ment of scroll recitation art in Suzhou and its modern state. The author has used rare materials from Chinese library collections as well as results of his own field observations in 2011–2018, during visits to several areas of baojuan recitation. There is also an attempt to compare scroll recitation in Suzhou and other areas of China where traditions of baojuan storytell-ing have been preserved. On the basis of research one can do a projection on possibility of preservation and development of this old form of art in this area.
baojuan (precious scrolls); Chinese prosimetric literature; folklore; folk rituals; Chinese ethnography.