People, young and old, would stick to the radio when they had the time, listening to these storytellings, many of which originated from ancient Chinese history.

In cities, old men would sit in a comfortable bamboo chair enjoying the stories while sipping tea.

Many stories such as General Yue Fei (說岳全傳), the Romance of the Three Kingdoms (三國演義), Cavalier with White Eyebrows (白眉大侠), and Romance of the Sui and Tang Dynasties (隋唐演義) gained popularity among young and old and became major topics of conversation.

Pingshu performers often wear gowns and stand behind a table, with a folded fan and a gavel (serving as a prop to strike the table as a warning to the audience to be quiet or as a means of attracting attention in order to strengthen the effect of the performance, especially at the beginning or during intervals).

In order to attract the new generation of listeners, some non-traditional content was also adopted as Pingshu, like Harry Potter.