Guci (drumbeat lyrics) usually refers to a Quyi form of reciting and singing with a strong rhythm while beating drum or playing clappers as accompaniment to music. Guci has a long history and its name originated in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). After the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Guci performance became very popular, especially in Hebei, Henan, Shandong, Liaoning provinces and Beijing, Tianjin cities. In southern China, most prevalent Guci genres were Yangzhou Guci in Jiangsu Province and Wenzhou Guci in Zhejiang Province.

Guci in northern China usually has two forms. One is that the performer beats a drum or plays clappers himself/herself. And this form of performance is popular in countryside. The other form is that the performer plays the three-stringed lute while singing and reciting. And, this form of performance is popular in both countryside and cities. After 1840, the two forms gradually merged and formed Dagushu, for which the performer beats a drum or plays clappers accompanied by three-stringed lute of other performers while singing and reciting. After generations of development and evolution, various forms of Guci came into being, including Xihe Dagu, Shandong Dagu, and so on.

Guci in southern China dates back to the period from the early Qing Dynasty to the reign of Emperor Qianlong and it includes Wenzhou Guci, Lishui Guci and Yongkang Guci and so on in Zhejiang Province. All these forms of Guci arts are sung in the local dialect and are still popular today.