The Most Popular Stories of Yue Opera
Yue Opera stories come from Chinese classic literary works like the four great legends. Yue Opera's inspiration also comes from folk stories.
Some plays are about national heroes, promoting the spirit of patriotism. Many stories are about love, and many love stories are still piayed on Yue Opera stage. For example:
Romance of the West Chamber
It is regarded by some as one of the four classic Yue Opera stories. This story talks about the period of Tang Dynasty. Zhang Sheng, a scholar who loves Yingying, the daughter of Prime Minister Cui. Yingying's mother don't like Zhang, and put obstacles in their way. The play extols their pure love and the rebellious spirit of breaking free from feudal constraints.
Avalokitesvara’s Festivity
It also is a classic Yue Opera play which you can see on the Yue Opera theaters. It is about Miaoshan, the daughter of the emperor, was a very kind-hearted girl. She was determined to become a nun to save all people in need. She knelt in front of the temple for three days and finally moved the abbess, thus agreed. The emperor ordered her to return palace, but Miaoshan refused. Later, the emperor even ordered people to set fire to the temple. Miaoshan, disregarding her own safety, resolutely put out the fire with her life, saved the abbess and all the nuns. She also achieved nirvana in the raging fire and became the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva who relieves people from sufferings.
A Dream of Red Mansions
It is one of the classic stories of Yue Opera. This story talks about Lin Daiyu, whose parents were both dead and who lived in grandmother's home. She was in a blue mood all day. She was fond of her cousin Jia Baoyu. They were not favored and could not marry, because they ware relatives. Later, Jia Baoyu married other, and Lin Daiyu died with deep regret after hearing that.
Peacock Flies Southeast
People still enjoy it today. This story tells about how Jiao Zhongqing and his wife Liu Lanzhi were dmadly in love, but Jiao's mother couldn't stand his wife. Jiao Zhongqing had to do what his mother said and split up with his wife. They vowed not to marry anyone else. After Lanzhi returned to her parents' home, her parents want her to marry someone new. She thdroned herself into the river to oppose to remarry. When Jiao heard, he hanged himself too.
The Butterfly Lovers
It is a typical Yue Opera tale. It is about Liang Shanbo, a scholar, who lived with his widowed mother. Liang's home was very poor and his mother had to sell jade to support him to go to the academy. Zhu Yingtai pretended to be a man and also went to the academy to study. They became friends fast and fell in love. But Zhu's father had promised Yingtai to others. Liang Shanbo was so upset, and died after returning home. When Zhu Yingtai learned the tragic news of Liang Shanbo's death, she gave up her life for love. Finally, they turned into a pair of beautiful butterflies.
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