LI Bao-Chun on Traditional Chinese Operas

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7/6  Meng Li-Jun

Meng Li-Jun and Huangfu Shao-Hua were childhood sweethearts. After Meng’s father was framed by a corrupted officer causing the family to have fallen into ruin, Meng fled, disguised as a man. Before leaving, she painted a self-portrait for Huangfu as a keepsake.

Later, under an alias, Meng passed the imperial exam and became the top scholar, eventually rising to the position of prime minister. Two years later, Huangfu Shao-Hua also became a top scholar and achieved military honors. Just as they were about to reunite, the emperor’s father-in-law Liu Jie attempted to marry his daughter to Huangfu. At the same time, the emperor discovered Meng’s real gender and intended to take her as his concubine.

Using the tensions among the royalties to her advantage, Meng gained the empress dowager’s favor and was adopted as a member of the royal family. She then arranged for Huangfu to marry into the royal family as her consort. Thus, the lovers were joyfully reunited.

7/13 The Orphan of Zhao

ZHAO Dun, CHENG Yin by LI Bao-Chun

CHENG Yin by LI Yu-Hsuan

WEI Jiang by YANG Yan-Yi

Princess Zhuang-Ji by KUNG Yueh-Tzu

TU-AN Gu by LEE Ching-Fong

Jinhu(Leader of Strings): LYU Yu-Yong

Drum(Leader of Percussions): LIU Yun-He

Duration: 170 minutes

Filmed on December 15, 2018, Family Theater, Taipei

During the Spring and Autumn period (770-476 BC) in the state of Jin, the powerful minister Tu-An Gu urged the Duke of Jin to act selfishly and mercilessly against the people. Prime Minister Zhao Dun tried in vain to waken the king from Tu-An Gu’s grasps. Tu-An orchestrated a massacre of the Zhao family, killing over 300 Zhao members including Zhao Dun and his son Zhao Shuo. Zhao Shuo’s pregnant wife, Princess Zhuang Ji, was spared. She fled into the palace for protection and gave birth to a son.

To eliminate the Zhao’s bloodline, Tu-An Gu sought to kill Zhuang Ji's son. Cheng Ying, an old protégé of the Zhao’s, together with his friend Gong-Sun Chu-Jiu, devised a plan: Cheng Ying would sacrifice his own child and Gong-Sun would give his life to save the Zhao’s orphan. Though branded a traitor afterwards, Cheng Ying raised the Zhao’s orphan to adulthood, pretending the orphan was his own child.

Years later, old General Wei Jiang returned from the frontier. He accused Cheng Ying of betrayal and whipped him for being a heartless and shameless deserter. Cheng then revealed his son’s identity to Wei. The young man thus regained his last name and was called Zhao Wu. He avenged the death of his family and reunited with his mother, Princess Zhuang Ji.

7/20 The Silk Handkerchief

Scholar Wang Ke-Ju married Chen Sai-Jin, the beloved daughter of the retired Minister Chen. She brought with her a treasured silk handkerchief embroidered with nine golden dragons. A year later, Wang left for the capital to take the imperial exams, accompanied by a steward named Jiang Xiong. On their way, Jiang Xiong stole the handkerchief and with it he seduced a maid in the hotel they stayed in but failed and escaped.

The maid reported the incident to Wang Ke-Ju who rushed home to find the handkerchief gone. Despite her pregnancy, Wang cast his wife out and sent a letter of divorce to her father who consequently disowned her. Alone and helpless, Chen Sai-jin gave birth to a boy and ended up in Shuanghe Town, where an innkeeper’s daughter took her in. Sai-Jin worked hard to raise her son and supported his education.

Eighteen years later, her son Wang Jin-Long became a successful scholar. By fate, Wang Ke-Ju served under him, and the truth was uncovered. Sai-Jin was proven innocent; Wang deeply regretted; and the family was reunited with the help of the innkeeper’s daughter.

7/27Monkey King

Huaguo Mountain ‧ Keeper of the Sacred Horses ‧ Monkey King ‧

Stealing the Sacred Peaches‧ Stealing the Celestial Elixir ‧ Wreaking Havoc in Heaven

Monkey King by HSU Yan-Kai

Monkey King by WANG Yung-Tseng

LI Chang-Geng by LI Long-Xian

Mr. Tang by CHUANG Chiao-Wei

Mr. Yin by TSAI Yueh Hsun

Horse King & Giant Spirit River God by OU-YANG Ting

God Li the Supreme Commander by LEE Ching-Fong

Wonder Boy by YU Chi-Jou

God Erlang by KAO Hao-Chun

Suona, Flute: CHUANG Wen-Wen, LEE Yu-Ching

Drum(Leader of Percussions): CHEN Chun

Duration: 105 minutes

Filmed on January 31, 2021, Metropolitan Hall, Taipei

Monkey King is one of the most iconic plays in Peking Opera. It tells the story of the mighty Monkey King, Sun Wukong, whose magical powers and mischief cause endless headaches for the gods in heaven. The gods trick him into working as a lowly keeper in the heavenly stables as a method to control him. But once he discovers the deception, he crashes the Peach Banquet, steals the sacred peaches and celestial elixirs, and fights off the celestial army—causing a complete chaos in Heaven before making a grand triumphant escape.