The Story of the Western Wing

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The Story of the Western Wing (Cui Yingying Waits for the Moon in the Western Wing) is the representative work of the Yuan-dynasty zaju playwright Wang Shifu and one of the Four Great Classical Dramas of China. The play consists of five acts and twenty-one scenes, telling the story of the scholar Zhang Gong (Student Zhang) and the prime minister’s daughter Cui Yingying, who fall in love at first sight at the Pujiu Temple, with the maid Hongniang serving as their matchmaker. After many trials, the lovers are finally united, earning the work the title “The Crown of All Zaju in the World.”

Adapted from Yuan Zhen’s The Story of Yingying (Tang dynasty) and Dong Jieyuan’s The Western Wing in All Keys and Modes (Jin dynasty), Wang Shifu used exquisite structure and beautiful lyrics to elevate the theme “May all lovers in the world be united in marriage” to its climax. Famous scenes such as “Farewell at the Pavilion” and “Awakening from a Dream at Thatched Bridge Inn” are deeply lyrical and written in elegant language, becoming classic scenes repeatedly celebrated in later drama and literature.

The Story of the Western Wing holds a lofty position in literary history, praised by scholars such as Li Zhi and Jin Shengtan, who called it “a peerless masterpiece through the ages.” It breaks through the constraints of feudal ethics on young men and women’s free love, affirming true feelings through its comedic ending, and has deeply influenced later literary works on love. The character of Hongniang, clever and lively, became the prototype of the “matchmaker” and “facilitator” in Chinese literature.

As the pinnacle of Yuan zaju, The Story of the Western Wing seamlessly integrates narrative, lyricism, and stage art. Reading this play allows one to experience the anti-ethical spirit of classical Chinese love literature, the beauty of its lyrics, and the vivid charm of its characters.

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E-book data correction.