LI Bao-Chun on Traditional Chinese Operas

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8/6 The Mirror of Prosperity

Governor Mei Jun’s first wife, Lady Hu, was pregnant, and his second wife, Lady Xu, was insanely jealous. Lady Xu accused Lady Hu of carrying a monster, so a worried Governor Mei intended to kill Lady Hu. Lady Hu’s fled the Mei’s under the assistance of a maid, Shou-Chun. She gave birth to a son in an old Kiln but lost him when they ran into a group of bandits. A family took in her son. When the son placed first in the State’s Examination, mother and son finally reunited.

8/13Fifteen Strings of Copper

KUANG Zhong by LI Bao-Chun

LOU the Rat by SUN Zheng-Yang

GUO Yu-Shi by CHANG Gui-Xiang

ZHOU Chen by YANG Yan-Yi

SU Yu-Juan by HUANG Yu-Lin

XUN You-Lan by CHAO Yang-Chiang

YOU Hu-Lu by FU Nai-Su

Jinhu(Head of Strings): YE Guang

Drum(Head of Percussions): LIU Yun-He

Duration: 135 minutes

Filmed on June 5, 2004, Novel Hall for Performing Arts, Taipei

This Peking Opera is an adaptation of Kunqu’s “Fifteen Strings of Copper,” rewritten from an ancient script by two legendary Kunqu artists, Zhou Chuan-Ying and Wang Chuan-Song. The Peking Opera, staring Li Bao-Chun, was premiered in 1995 in the National Theater, Taipei, Taiwan. It is a mystery about a good- for- nothing gambler/thief, a pair of innocent man and woman who met by chance, a fearless and intelligent judge, as well as fifteen strings of coppers.

8/20 The Peony Pavilion

Du Li-Niang, the daughter of Du Bao, the magistrate of Nanan, was young, beautiful, and full of passion. However, she felt stifled under the strict constraints by her parents and teachers. One spring day, while strolling in the garden, she dreamt of falling in love with a scholar named Liu Meng-Mei. Upon waking, she was deeply troubled by her feelings and eventually passed away.

Three years later, a young man named Liu Meng-Mei traveled to take the Imperial Exam. When passing Nanan, he sought shelter at a temple in whose back graveyard Du Li-Niang was buried. There, he accidentally discovered a portrait of a beautiful lady and, after looking at it repeatedly, fell in love with the lady. One day when he was just talking to the lady in the painting, to his surprise the lady’s spirit emerged from the painting. She called herself Du Li-Niang and told him to open her grave, as she had been waiting for him. Liu Meng-Mei dug up the grave, opened the coffin, and Du Li-Niang came back to life. They got married.

Du Bao the father, on finding out what happened, accused Liu Meng-Mei of grave-robbing and had him imprisoned. But later Liu Meng-Mei placed top in the Imperial Exam and returned for his wife. The two reunited.

8/27 Koo Cloud LIVE

Night Scouting at Mountain Fu

The renowned fighting hero He Tian-Bao went night scouting at Mountain Fu after he accidentally witnessed a robbery nearby. He was discovered by the bandits, and a fight was started. He Tian-Bao, with his twin Dao swords in hand, fought fearlessly; yet he was injured and resolved to escape.

The Marshal’s Seal

To combat disturbing regional rebellions, the Emperor of Song ordered a competition of martial arts to select a marshal for the expeditionary force. Mu Gui-Ying's son, Yang Wen-Guang, defeated Wang Lun in the competition and won the Marshal's Seal. However, since the Yang’s were repeatedly framed by corrupted officials, Mu Gui-Ying was no longer willing to serve the state. Lady She, Mu Gui-Ying’s mother-in-law and head of the Yang family, convinced her to take up the Seal and lead the expedition.

Stealing the Celestial Herbs

This is an episode from "The Legend of the White Snake." During the Double Fifth Festival, Xu Xian persuaded his wife to drink realgar liquor to expel evil influences. He then fainted upon seeing the huge white snake Bai Su-Zhen turned into. To save her husband, Bai Su-Zhen broke into the celestial mountains for celestial herbs. She engaged in a fierce battle with the celestial Crane and Deer Boy. Eventually, she was able to obtain the celestial herbs which healed her husband.