作者 (Author) Wang Shifu
Summary: “Romance of the West Chamber” is a drama written by Wang Shifu, a playwright in the Yuan dynasty (1271-1368). It tells of a love story in the Tang dynasty (618-907) between a scholar named Zhang Junrui (Zhang Sheng) and Cui Yingying, daughter of the prime minister. On his way to Chang’an for the imperial examination, Zhang Sheng encountered Cui Yingying in Pujiu Temple. He fell in love with her at first sight. Hoping to see Yingying again, Zhang Sheng put up in the west chamber of Pujiu Temple. In the moonlight, the two young people recited and composed poems across the wall. But their peaceful life was disturbed by Sun Feihu, a bandit who led his men to surround the temple in order to take Yingying away to be his wife. Under these circumstances, the prime minister's wife Mrs. Cui made a promise that she would marry her daughter to whoever could fight off the bandits. Zhang Sheng managed to send for his good friend Du Que, also known as General Baima, to drive away the bandits. However, after they were out of danger, Mrs. Cui broke her promise. Zhang Sheng and Yingying had gone through many twists and downs and overcome numerous obstacles before they finally got married. "Romance of the West Chamber” sang of great love and criticizes the feudal ethics of basing marriage on the family status, property and power. It expresses the good wish that all lovers would be united in marriage. For centuries, the story has inspired countless young men and women to bravely pursue true love.
等级 (MML) MM Level-4.3
年级 (IL) Medium Grades (MG 4-8)
字数 (Words) 1177
类型 (Fiction) Fiction
系列 (Series) Chinese stories;
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