The Tale of Jiaohong

孟称舜Jun 2024

4.1

Word count: 79K words
Chapters: 51

Summary

Traditional Chinese thought has a long history and is highly original, inventive, and literary. Early intellectual forms are especially distinctive: religious theology, classical texts of Chinese medicine, ancient military strategy, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, and the Hundred Schools, feng shui and metaphysics, the Twenty-Four Histories, and local customs and geography—all are profound and extensive. This series, “Essence of Classic Chinese Culture: Original Texts,” preserves the original appearance of the works, with the aim of conserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture. By reading the literary essence left by ancient sages, readers can cultivate their temperament and subtly appreciate the classics of Chinese learning.

Editor's review

Jiao Hong Ji is a famous chuanqi play by Meng Chengshun of the Ming dynasty. It tells the tragic love story of Wang Jiaoniang and Shen Chun, injecting distinct individual will and resistance to fate into the scholar-beauty theme. This edition belongs to the series “Essence of Classic Chinese Culture: Original Texts” and aims to preserve the original appearance of the work; it suits readers who wish to encounter the original classical drama. Its value lies in two aspects: on one hand, readers can see the beauty of Ming chuanqi aria writing and the handling of plot structure; on the other, they can observe the tension between ancient marriage ethics and individual feeling. When reading, do not treat it merely as a love story; pay attention as well to the lyrical rhythm between song and dialogue and to characterization. Reading it alongside basic knowledge of Ming drama history will make it easier to understand.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in classical Chinese chuanqi drama who want to read the original texts
Readers of literature and history interested in Ming dynasty marriage ethics and literary expression
General readers who enjoy classical tragic love stories and are willing to savor the arias

Not a good fit for

Readers who only want a vernacular retelling and do not want to engage with classical arias and dialogue
Researchers expecting modern scholarly annotation and a detailed introduction

Reading tips

Read through the plot once, then return to key arias and savor the turns in the characters’ emotions
Note unfamiliar tune titles and allusions as you go and look them up in batches to avoid constant interruption
Read with the general conventions of Ming chuanqi in mind; this makes the play’s deliberate choices easier to see

版权信息
第一出正名
第二出辞亲
第三出会娇
第四出晚绣
第五出访丽
第六出题花
第七出和诗
第八出番衅
第九出分烬
第十出拥炉
第十一出防番
第十二出期阻
第十三出遣召
第十四出私怅
第十五出盟别
第十六出城守
第十七出求医
第十八出密约
第十九出归图
第二十出断袖
第二十一出遣媒
第二十二出婚拒
第二十三出妓饮
第二十四出媒复
第二十五出病禳
第二十六出三谒
第二十七出絮鞋
第二十八出诟红
第二十九出诘词
第三十出玩图
第三十一出要盟
第三十二出红构
第三十三出愧别
第三十四出客请
第三十五出赠佩
第三十六出赴试
第三十七出喜贺
第三十八出荣晤
第三十九出妖迷
第四十出诘祟
第四十一出明妖
第四十二出帅媾
第四十三出生离
第四十四出演喜
第四十五出泣舟
第四十六出询红
第四十七出芳殒
第四十八出双逝
第四十九出合冢
第五十出仙圆

FAQ

Is this book suitable for readers with no background in Chinese drama?

It can be read, but it requires some patience. The book preserves the original appearance of the text, alternating arias and dialogue, and the language may feel distant at first. It is best to grasp the main storyline first rather than trying to understand every word; look up allusions in batches, and after two or three scenes you will gradually adjust.

What should readers focus on in Jiao Hong Ji?

Beyond the love story, pay attention to the choices Jiaoniang and Shen Chun make under ritual and moral pressure, and to how the author uses arias to advance psychological change. The lyricism of the arias and the arrangement of the plot are key to understanding the artistic features of Ming chuanqi.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

孟称舜 Author

Meng Chengshun: public information about his life, official career, and dates of birth and death is limited, so a complete biography cannot be reconstructed. His surviving works in the library, however, reveal his creative orientation. Five titles are currently attributed to him, all centered on Jiao Hong Ji: the work itself, a two-volume edition titled Chinese Classical Tragedy: Jiao Hong Ji (Volumes I and II), and two prose versions, Chinese Classical Tragic Novel: Jiao Hong Ji and Classical Tragic Novel: Jiao Hong Ji. Classified under culture, classical literature, and classic works, these texts draw on traditional narrative materials and treat love and fate in a tragic mode. Jiao Hong Ji is often regarded as a representative classical tragedy, notable for its detailed portrayal of emotion and dramatic conflict and for its mournful, deeply felt style, and it has exerted a degree of influence on later operatic and fictional adaptations.