Jingyun dagu, a kind of drumbeat performance, is a branch of the art form Dagu. It is an art in which stories are told in Beijing dialect with a drum accompaniment.

Jingyun dagu lays stress on singing and concentrates on depicting short episodes. It came into being and was popular in Beijing and Tianjin at the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and the beginning of the Republic of China period. Liu Baoquan initiated this particular dagu, telling stories in the Beijing dialect, replacing Hebei regional pronunciations. He absorbed the vocal music of Peking Opera and Beijing folk tunes, which he incorporated into his Jingyun dagu, using the sihu and pipa as accompaniment in addition to three-stringed lutes and wooden clappers.

Jingyun dagu is popular to this day in the Chinese capital. It is divided into three schools, headed by Liu Baoquan, Bai Yunpeng, and Zhang Xiaoxuan, respectively. Liu attained the highest artistic achievement by earning the title King of Dagu. He has made the greatest contributions to dagu and won esteem as the leading artist in his field. In the wake of the emergence of the three schools, another appeared, known as the junior Bai School and headed by the brothers Bai Fengyan and Bai Fengming.

After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Jingyun dagu made greater strides in development. The singers were regarded as people's artists or actors. While they continued to sing and tell traditional stories, themes reflecting contemporary life emerged, such as Glorious Journey, Red Flag Over Mount Everest, Patriotism and Roaring Waves, Han Ying Meets Her Mother, and Bai Niu Tells a Story.

At the same time, a number of young artist were trained. Today, Zhao Xueyi (Bai school), Yang Fengiie (Liu school), Liu Chun'ai (Luo school), and Zhong Yujie (Liu school) rank as successful young artists in the art field of Jingyun Dagu.