Selected Works of Guan Hanqing

Author: Guan Hanqing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: Guan Hanqing was a great playwright of the Yuan Dynasty (1206-1368). His works are highly realistic, reflecting complex social scenes and conflicts, particularly the fate of women in contemporary society and their struggle against unfair circumstances. Guan Hanqing's surviving plays number about 18, and this book selects 8 of them that best embody the characteristics of Guan drama. Among them, The Injustice to Dou E (Dou E Yuan) is Guan Hanqing's most famous work. The play uses the unrealistic and exaggerated artistic technique of "snow falling in June" to vividly portray Dou E's injustice and her struggle against fate, making it a representative tragedy in Chinese theater. Rescuing the Windblown Sisters (Jiu Feng Chen) features an innovative plot, where the heroic courtesan Zhao Pan'er saves her fellow courtesans using her charm, giving the play a strong comedic flavor. The Duel of the Single-Edged Sword (Dan Dao Hui) has distinctive artistic characteristics, placing great emphasis on the preparation of the characters appearing on stage. Guan Hanqing's plays have been translated into multiple languages and are widely circulated around the world. The English translations used in this book were done by the renowned Chinese literary translators Yang Xianyi and Gladys Yang.