Romance of the West Chamber (Essential Collection of Chinese Family Classics. Drama and Novel Volume)

Author: Wang Shifu of the Yuan Dynasty, annotated by He Qiaosuo and Bai Songqing
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-06-01
Features: In terms of plot development alone, compared to our outstanding operas, even across all of Europe, one might struggle to find a script as perfect as this. — [Russian] Vasilyev, Outlines of the History of Chinese Literature
It stands as a timeless masterpiece, unmatched by any author before or after. From nobles to ladies of the court, everyone knows of the Cui Yingying story. — Wang Boliang, New Annotations on the Ancient Cui Yingying
The plot summary of Cui Yingying is as follows: Scholar Zhang Junrui travels to the capital for the imperial examination and passes by Putuo Temple in Hezhong Prefecture (now Yongji, Shanxi). There, he meets Cui Yingying, a former prime minister's daughter who has taken refuge in the temple. They fall in love at first sight and, defying Confucian norms, exchange poetry and music under the moonlight. However, just then, bandit Sun Feihu leads his troops to surround the temple, intending to abduct Cui Yingying as his wife. Forced to comply, the prime minister publicly promises: whoever drives away the bandits will marry Cui Yingying.
Zhang Junrui seeks help from his friend, General Duque of the White Horse, who successfully lifts the siege. Yet after the crisis, the prime minister retracts her promise, forcing Cui and Zhang to address each other as siblings. Heartbroken, they suffer immense anguish. Cui Yingying's maid, Hongniang, out of righteous indignation, helps them communicate secretly, and Cui and Zhang eventually defy all constraints and elope. Confronted with the truth, the prime minister is compelled to agree to the marriage but then uses the excuse, "Our family will never marry a scholar in white robes for three generations," to pressure Zhang Junrui to take the imperial examination in the capital.
Undaunted, Zhang Junrui passes the exam and returns in glory, finally uniting with Cui Yingying. Due to its outstanding artistic achievement, Cui Yingying has been performed continuously for centuries, with adaptations in various forms—zaju opera, chuanqi, and local operas. After the liberation, playwrights like Tian Han and Ma Shaobo adapted it into Peking Opera and Kunqu Opera. It has also been translated into Japanese, English, French, and other languages, earning global acclaim.
Thanks to Cui Yingying, Wang Shifu holds a pivotal position in Chinese literary history, especially in the history of theater. In this edition of Cui Yingying, to help readers better understand this great Yuan Dynasty work, annotations follow each act, brief reviews follow each volume, and appendices include Tang Yuanzhen’s The Story of Cui Yingying, Song Zhao Lingzhi’s Butterfly Lovers in the Shang Mode, Jin Dong Jieyuan’s Cui Yingying in Zugu Opera, as well as "Major Editions of Cui Yingying," "Major Research Works on Cui Yingying," and "Famous Quotes from Cui Yingying."