On Oct 22, 1997, the China Quyi Artists Association named Nanyang as the "Town of Quyi (Chinese folk art forms)".

Quyi, in Nanyang, has developed over a long history. It was very popular in the Song (960–1279) and Yuan (1271–1368) dynasties. There are over 1,000 songs and 180 names of the tunes remaining today. Nowadays, there is over 300 kinds of Quyi nation wide, most of which originating from Nanyang.

In Nanyang, the track number totals to over 2,700. The actors are scattered in various Quyi organizations in counties, cities and district. Besides, there are a large number of amateurs, and a large group of composers as well.