LI Bao-Chun on Traditional Chinese Operas
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8/3 The Garden Swing
Chu Yun, a talented young woman, and Qian Xun, a scholar on his way to take the imperial exam, fell madly in love while Chu Yun was swinging in her garden. Meanwhile, Wang Jin-Shi, the son of the Huizhou governor, sought to marry Chu Yun. Her father agreed in fear.
Chu Yun disguised herself as a man and ran away. With Qian Xun’s help, she took the imperial exam under her father’s name and ranked first. To put off the marriage, Chu Yun’s father declared that whoever topped the next exam would become her husband. Qian Xun planned to take it, but fell ill. Chu Yun once again disguised herself and sat for the exam in his place—winning again. The emperor decided to marry his daughter to her.
Qian Xun snuck into the palace to stop the wedding. Forced to confess, Chu Yun revealed the truth. The couple was imprisoned for deceiving the emperor, but their sincerity moved the princess. She persuaded the emperor to pardon them, and the lovers finally united.
8/10 Chun Cao, the Clever Maid, Battle of Tai-Ping
Chun Cao, the Clever Maid
Chun Cao by HUANG Yu-Lin
HU Jin by CHEN Ching-He
LI Ban-Yue by CHANG Hsueh-Hung
WU Du by CHUANG Chiao-Wei
XUE Mei-Ting by HSU Kuo-Chi
Madam YANG by LI Zhao-Yun
Jinhu(Leader of Strings): CHAO Lu-Chia
Drum(Leader of Percussions): LIU Yun-He
Duration: 70 minutes
Filmed on May 23, 2014, Cement Hall, Taipei
On a beautiful spring day, Premier Li’s daughter, Li Ban-Yue, visited Mt. Hua-Shan with her maid, Chun Cao. A young man, Xue Mei-Ting, accidently killed Wu Du, the son of another royal officer who attempted to harass Li Ban-Yue.
In court, Wu Du’s mother, the Honorary Madam Yang, pressured Governor Hu to sentence Xue Mei-Ting to death. Chun Cao, realizing there was no time to seek witnesses for Xue, broke into the courtroom alone. Attempting to save Xue Mei-Ting, Chun Cao addressed him as Li Ban-Yue’s fiancé. Governor Hu held off Madam Yang and went with Chun Cao to see Li Ban-Yue. Chun Cao resolved one crisis after another and went with Miss Li to see her father in the capital city. After a series of comic misunderstandings, Premier Li accepted Xue Mei-Ting as his son-in-law. All’s well ever after.
Battle at Tai-Ping
HUA Yun by LI Bao-Chun
Lady GAO by CHANG Hsueh-Hung
Lady SUN by TSOU Tsu-Min
ZHU Wen-Xun by YANG Shu-Ching
CHEN You-Liang by LEE Ching-Fong
HUA An by CHUANG Chiao-Wei
Jinhu(Leader of Strings): WANG Zhi-Lin
Drum(Leader of Percussions): LIU Yun-He
Duration: 85 minutes
Filmed on May 23, 2014, Cement Hall, Taipei
At the end of the Yuan dynasty, Hua Yun served as military advisor to Zhu Wen-Xun, nephew of Zhu Yuan-Zhang, who stationed in Tai-Ping. Due to a lack of defense power at Caishi Fort, however, the city was overtaken in a surprise attack by their enemy Chen You-Liang.
Hua Yun planned to break through the siege, but Zhu Wen-Xun hesitated, unwilling to leave his family behind. His delay cost them dearly—both were captured by the enemy. Chen You-Liang demanded their capitulation. Zhu Wen-Xun begged for life and was executed right away. Hua Yun refused to yield. He broke free from the execution ground and fought the enemies. Surrounded and wounded by arrows, he took his own life.
8/17 Half Pair of Scissors
Cao Jin-Tang, a spoiled rich young man, seduced his maid Chen Jin-E and left her pregnant. He later married Liang Hui-Mei, who was secretly pregnant with another man’s child. When Chen Jin-E’s brother, Chen Gen-Fu, visited the Cao household, he recognized Liang Hui-Mei and was reminded of her past affair. Fearing exposure, Liang framed Chen Jin-E, and Cao Jin-Tang forced her out.
Gen-Fu secretly gave his sister’s newborn son to a wealthy man, Xu Qing-Dao, who named the boy Xu Tian-Ci. Jin-E, devastated, attempted suicide but was rescued by Xu’s maid and later became Tian-Ci’s wet nurse.
Eighteen years later, Cao Jin-Tang arranged for his daughter, Cao Ya-Nan, to marry Tian-Ci. On their wedding night, they fought, and Ya-Nan accidentally killed herself. Cao Jin-Tang falsely accused Tian-Ci of murder and schemed to have the young man sentenced.
On the day of execution, Jin-E came across her brother and discovered Tian-Ci was her long-lost son. She rushed to the execution ground and exposed Cao’ s wrongdoing. In the end, the truth came to light, and mother and son reunited.
8/24 The Beautiful Ghost Maiden
Scholar Ning Cai-Chen spends the night at Lanruo Temple, where he meets Nie Xiao-Qian, a ghost maiden forced by the Ghost Matron to seduce and kill men. But Ning treats her with kindness and stays true to his morals. Touched by his sincerity, Xiao-Qian reveals her identity.
Ning vows to help her return to life, but their love angers the Ghost Matron. Taoist priest Yan Chi-Xia, moved by their bond, steps in to defeat the Ghost Matron. On Ghost Festival Day, Ning helps Xiao-Qian return to the living world. As she fades away, Ning, heartbroken, tries to follow her into death—leaving the end of the story uncertain.
8/31 KooCloud LIVE: The Little Cowherd, The Golden Falcon
The Little Cowherd
The Country Girl by YU Chi-Jou
The Little Cowherd by CHOU Shen-Hsing
This light-hearted musical piece is about a country boy who, while tending to his herd of cows, met a little girl from the neighboring village. They danced and sang lively duets, enjoying the lusty month of March.
The Golden Falcon
Golden Falcon by HSU Yan-Kai
Precious Deer by KUNG Yueh-Tzu
The Golden Falcon is about a forbidden love between a golden falcon and an angel who choose to continue their affair against oppression even after one is banned from heaven and the other imprisoned.
