Engraving template drawing The West Chamber

Author: (Yuan) Wang Baofu, (Ming) Ling Mengchu Reviewer
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-04-01
Features: Around the Wanli and Tianqi years, Chinese woodblock printing entered an unprecedented period of prosperity. Bookshops in Beijing, Huizhou, Jinling, and Jian'an continuously explored and innovated in printing methods, leading to a diverse array of woodblock printing techniques and forms, presenting a scene of flourishing creativity. The Ling and Min families in Wujiang, Jiangnan, were renowned for their large-scale stereoscopic printing operations, adding a brilliant sunset to the closing chapter of Ming Dynasty book production. The stereoscopic prints of Ling Mengchu from the late Ming period have long been cherished by readers and collectors, standing as rare artistic treasures in the history of ancient Chinese printing. Over three centuries, Ling's prints have become as scarce as stars, with those featuring color illustrations being particularly rare. This book is one such example of a color-printed stereoscopic woodblock edition by Ling. The text is spaced generously, the colors are pleasing to the eye, and the illustrations were meticulously drawn by renowned Huizhou painters and placed at the beginning of the volume. The margins are adorned with critiques from various scholars, written in elegant calligraphy. It is among the finest representatives of Ling's prints. This book is a facsimile of the original first edition, bound in traditional line-sewn style, with the original layout and page frames preserved intact, making it one of the best versions for both reading and collecting. This book stands as one of the peaks of Chinese literary works, with its magnificent prose, intricate plots, dramatic twists, delicate writing, and vivid character portrayals, achieving perfection in artistry. The plot of The Story of the Western Chamber is directly inspired by Dong Jieyuan's The Western Chamber in Zugu Opera from the Jin Dynasty. Wang Shifu's The Story of the Western Chamber is based on Dong Jieyuan's work but made revisions in key aspects to address its shortcomings. This is primarily reflected in two ways: on one hand, it cuts out unnecessary embellishments and redundancies, resulting in a more cohesive structure and focused plot; on the other hand, and more importantly, it ensures that the characters firmly adhere to their respective positions—Lady Wang, in her strict supervision of her daughter and staunch opposition to Cui Xian and Zhang Sheng's love, remains unwavering in maintaining the purity and prestige of the "Xiang Family Genealogy," while Zhang Sheng and Cui Xian show no compromise in pursuing their love, intensifying the conflict between the two sides. This not only adds to the tension and appeal of the story but also highlights the theme and sharpens the character portrayals. Coupled with its beautiful and expressive language, the play becomes a masterpiece of exquisite art. The Story of the Western Chamber is often praised as a work that "challenges feudal Confucianism," which is indeed true. However, it also has a distinctive feature: the author rarely focuses on ideological conflicts but instead delves directly into life itself, portraying the yearning of young men and women for free love, the irresistible and justified nature of desire, and the clash between their aspirations for a fulfilling life and the selfish desires of their parents. In essence, the author brings the theme of opposing Confucianism to life, capturing the youthful frustrations and inexplicable melancholy of women living under oppression, all shadowed by their unwilling arranged marriages. The author candidly, even boldly, expresses the natural and innate desire of men for beautiful women, as well as the women's natural response to such admiration. There is no deep philosophy here, nor is it needed; instead, the author boldly portrays the passionate love at first sight between young men and women, resonating with readers and audiences. After a series of trials and tribulations, the author grants the audience a psychological victory on stage to those still living under oppression. Though this victory comes at the cost of compromise and resolution of conflicts between the opposing sides in the play, and concludes with the old-fashioned happy ending of the male protagonist passing the imperial examinations and marrying, it still asserts the power of suppressed love and desire, expressing the beautiful wish that "all lovers in the world may become couples." Thus, it delivers a powerful blow to certain aspects of feudal moral dogma. The Story of the Western Chamber, with its high artistic level in portraying a beautiful love story, is particularly moving.