Palace of Eternal Life

Author: Hong Sheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1998-09-01
Features: The Palace of Eternal Life is a classical opera masterpiece written by Hong Sheng (1645-1704), a writer during the Shunzhi to Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty. The Palace of Eternal Life achieves high artistic success. Firstly, there is an organic unity of historical truth and artistic truth. The play tells the story of two historical figures, and while the author respects history, he is not bound by historical records. For some important facts, the play is largely based on historical accounts, while for details, it is edited according to the needs of the theme and supplemented with artistic fiction. Secondly, the structure is rigorous and compact, full of dramatic tension. The entire play is arranged with three threads: one is the development of Li and Yang's love; another is the scheming and rivalry between Yang Guozhong and An Lushan; and the third is the conflicts between Guo Ziyi and An Lushan, Chen Yuanli and Li Longji, Yang Yuhuan, and Yang Guozhong.