Gao Zecheng is known in the history of classical Chinese drama as the author of The Story of the Pipa. Publicly available information about his life is limited: his native place, dates of birth and death, and official career are not recorded in the available sources and cannot be described in detail. What can be confirmed is that his representative work, The Story of the Pipa, is divided into two parts, and that two works by him are preserved, both classified as classical literature. The play uses the Southern drama form to tell the story of Cai Bojie and Zhao Wuniang; its language is plain yet full of feeling, treating filial duty and family ethics as well as the joys and sorrows of separation and turmoil, with carefully drawn characters and skillfully arranged arias and dialogue. It circulated widely in later ages and is regarded as an important work in the transition from Southern drama to chuanqi, influencing the choice of themes and performance forms of Ming and Qing drama. To read Gao Zecheng, one should begin with The Story of the Pipa and appreciate how he writes deep emotion through everyday human relations.
