Chinese Kunqu Opera: Classic Show for Cultural EliteⅧ

The story pays a tribute to the braveness of young people boldly sought for freedom and love and their spirit of objecting to feudalism. The story portrays the love story of Liu Mengmei(刘梦梅) and Du liniang（杜丽娘)and shows the eternality and prominence of love in life and society. Love could leads human to crossing death and living. Du Liniang is a successfully-portrayed female figure in succession to Cui Yingying(崔莺莺), the heroine of Tao Hua Shan(桃花扇, The Peach Blossom Fan)

The Contributors of Kunqu Opera

Tang Xianzu, Chinese Shakespeare Tang Xianzu（汤显祖,1550—1616）the most famous and influential founder, playwright and literature master of Ming Dynasty, and he had an important role in the literature history of China and world and was crowned to be Oriental Shakespeare. Tang Xianzu was born in Linchuan, Jiangxi province. Since infancy, he was quite brilliant, and became the winnter of Zhongju at the age of 21. He was too honest and stubborn and was not welcomed by the official circle. And at his age of 34, he became Jinshi. In 1591, he impeached some authorities and was demoted to be the governor of Suichang County, Zhejiang province. In 1598, he resigned and spent more time in operas and poems. When he was young, Tang Xianzu learnt from Luo Rufang(罗汝芳)who was a predominant representative of Taizhou Academy and influenced a lot by anti-orthodox beliefs.