"Four Dreams of Linchuan" Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe The Purple Hairpin: Commemoration of the 400th Anniversary of the Death of Tang Xianzu

Date: July 17 - 7:30 pm

Venue: National Center for the Performing Arts

Price: 80-400 yuan

Based on Jiang Fang's Biography of Huo Xiaoyu, Legend of Purple Hairpin narrates a love story between Li Yi, a single 20-year-old gifted man of letters temporarily living in Chang'an, and a gorgeous and versatile girl Huo Xiaoyu, with whom Li Yi falls in love at first sight at the lantern fair. Soon, the two love birds happily married with the purple hairpin that Xiaoyu hangs on the branch of a plum tree as their token of love. After Li Yi won the first place in the imperial exam, Marshal Lu orders him to guard the border to separate him and Xiaoyu out of jealousy and hatred. Having no better option, Xiaoyu sends Li Yi off in tears at the Baqiao Bridge. Triggered by his selfish motive to marry Li Yi to his own daughter, Marshal Lu transfers Li Yi to Mengmen as an administrator before putting him under house arrest. Meanwhile, Xiaoyu has exhausted the last dime for entrusting friends to find her husband and pawns the purple hairpin which comes to the hand of a subordinate of Marshal Lu. With the hairpin as a proof, Marshal Lu cheats Li Yi that Xiaoyu has remarried and forces him to marry his daughter instead. With the generous help from an informed passer-by clad in a yellow robe, the two finally reunite and iron out the misunderstanding.

Contact: 010-6655-0000