Cao Xiang Ji

Author: Wang Shifu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-07-01
Features: Century Chinese New Curriculum Standard Required Reading, designated book by the Ministry of Education's "General High School Chinese Curriculum Standards." "The Story of the Western Chamber" is a zaju (a form of Chinese opera) adapted by Wang Shifu of the Yuan Dynasty from the Tang Dynasty legend "The Story of Yingying." It depicts the love story between the scholar Zhang Sheng and the minister's daughter Cui Yingying, portraying the themes of pursuing marital autonomy and resisting feudal rituals. The play creates vivid and well-developed characters such as Zhang Sheng, Cui Yingying, and Hongniang. The plot is intricate and gripping, with a blend of refined and colloquial language, earning it the title "Crown of Zaju" and exerting a profound influence on the development of Chinese opera literature. This book includes original text with pingsha (prosody analysis) and annotations for each act, briefly introducing the characteristics of zaju as a theatrical form, the main content, artistic features, and expressive techniques of each act. It is particularly suitable for middle school students' extracurricular reading.