Hsiang sheng originally came from the palace, where it was a form of court entertainment called Yu P'ai in the early Chou dynasty (11th century B.C.-221 B.C.).
這樣「平民化」的活動，卻是源自宮廷。相聲的起源，最早可溯及周朝優俳（演戲娛樂君王的藝人）表演。