As a playwright, Ding published 10 works.

In 1923, he published his first comedy, A Wasp, which tells the story of two young lovers, whose relationship was objected by the young man's mother.

Then, in 1925, he published After Drinking, which was inspired by Ding's friend Ling Shuhua's novel with the same title and follows a newlywed couple who get drunk.

Blind in One Eye, written in 1927, portrays an old couple's reflections on their marriage.

Speaking about the plays, Ban says: "Though the three comedies were written in the 1920s and 1930s, they still connect with a contemporary audience.

"We fall in love, get married and deal with being a husband, wife, father-in-law and mother-in-law.

"The language pioneered by Ding became a defining characteristic of spoken drama of the 1920s, and he still inspires people working in theater and audiences."