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TIANJIN, May 15 (Xinhua) — Spanish teacher Raydis Franco from Venezuela works at the School of Foreign Studies in Nankai University in north China's Tianjin Municipality. He came to China on a cultural exchange program and started his seven-year study at Tianjin University in 2015. The past decade has turned this 36-year-old man into a fluent speaker of Chinese.

Raydis Franco gives a lecture at the School of Foreign Studies in Nankai University in north China's Tianjin, April 29, 2025. [Xinhua/Li Ran]

Tianjin is dubbed a cradle for Xiangsheng, a traditional Chinese cross-talk show. Franco fell in love with this art and started to learn from professional performers and to practice what he has acquired via live performances at teahouses.

Raydis Franco (C) watches a Xiangsheng performance at a teahouse in Hongqiao District of north China's Tianjin, April 24, 2025. [Xinhua/Li Ran]

Raydis Franco watches a Xiangsheng performance at a teahouse in Hongqiao District of north China's Tianjin, April 24, 2025. [Xinhua/Li Ran]

Performer Wang Wenshui (R) teaches Raydis Franco to play kuaiban, a form of Chinese storytelling accompanied by bamboo clappers, at a teahouse in Hongqiao District of north China's Tianjin, April 24, 2025. [Xinhua/Li Ran]

Raydis Franco (L) communicates with a professional Xiangsheng performer at a teahouse in Hongqiao District of north China's Tianjin, April 24, 2025. [Xinhua/Li Ran]

Raydis Franco (L) communicates with a professional Xiangsheng performer at a teahouse in Hongqiao District of north China's Tianjin, April 24, 2025. [Xinhua/Li Ran]

In 2023, Franco, already a faculty member at Nankai University, joined a promotion program for Xiangsheng culture targeting the Spanish-speaking world. Together with his colleagues and students, Franco has endeavored to create some excellent Xiangsheng works in colloquial Spanish that integrate humor elements of both languages, and to share them around the world through the Internet.

Franco hopes to study Xiangsheng in a more profound way for what he loves is not merely the cross-talk performance, but the rich history and culture of China. "By learning cross-talk, I feel closely linked to the Chinese culture," said Franco.

Raydis Franco takes photos of the statue of Ma Sanli, a renowned Xiangsheng performer, in Dongli District of north China's Tianjin, April 24, 2025. [Xinhua/Li Ran]

Raydis Franco (L) poses for photos with Ma Xiaochuan, the grandson of Ma Sanli, a renowned Xiangsheng performer, in Dongli District of north China's Tianjin, April 24, 2025. [Xinhua/Li Ran]

Raydis Franco browses selections of Xiangsheng works of Ma Sanli, a renowned Xiangsheng performer, in Dongli District of north China's Tianjin, April 24, 2025. [Xinhua/Li Ran]

Raydis Franco practices kuaiban, a form of Chinese storytelling accompanied by bamboo clappers, at his home in north China's Tianjin, April 25, 2025. [Xinhua/Li Ran]

Raydis Franco tries costumes for Xiangsheng at his home in north China's Tianjin, April 25, 2025. [Xinhua/Li Ran]

Coordinators: Wang Qingqin, Meng Chenguang, Hu Zhixuan, Chu Jiayin

Reporters: Yang Zichun, Li Ran, Hao Jie

Designers: Zhou Dixiao, Mu Wenchun

(Source: Xinhua)

Editor: Wang Shasha