Taoist ballads, a form of folk art, originated in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) when the government advocated Taoism and a number of songs were created for religious rites. The songs were gradually spread among the public and became an artistic form with moral themes.

Jinhua Taoist ballads originated in Yiwu city. They came into vogue during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. Some frustrated talents enjoyed singing the ballads to relieve depression. Yan Song, a Ming chancellor, used to sing Taoist ballads when he was down and out. 

Yiwu was the hometown of some famous masters of Taoist ballads, such as Luo Zhanglin. Since the foundation of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, the government has attached more importance to the ballads. Blind artist Ye Yingmei came to Beijing three times to perform the folk art. In 1951, Ye attended the first Joint Performance of Chinese Folk Arts of the Jinhua region. 

On Dec 7, 2003, a variety show was held in Yiwu to celebrate the city’s designation as the “hometown of Chinese folk arts in Zhejiang province”, an honor which was largely due to its Taoist ballads.