 |
| Qiao
Jie was picking the apricot to use it as a message of her love for
Zhuang Ge, playing flute at the background here to try to get her
attention |
The
Beauty in the Painting is a popular Chinese folklore. Though its
origin is unknown, the first written record appeared in the early seventeenth
century in the form of a script for a theatrical performance written by
Wu Bing (1595-1648). The legend has been handed down orally in various
versions and adapted into different local dramas. In 1958, it was adapted
into a movie, thus making the story known to every Chinese.
The Beauty
in the Painting features an innocent and dauntless love affair between
a beautiful and kindhearted girl named Qiao Jie (Clever Sister) and a courageous
and warmhearted young man known by the name of Zhuang Ge (Brother of the
Village). At the same time, the legend also castigates the criminal act
committed by a dissipated and unashamed emperor and his evil wizard minister.
The legend is typical of a long-standing Chinese folk tradition: the good
will eventually overwhelm the bad and there is always a happy ending to
a true love. This is evident even in the tragic love stories highlighted
in this series, such as A Cowherd and a Weaving
Girl and Liangshan Bo and Zhu Yingtai
(Butterfly Lovers).
On the other
hand, the legend is another example of reinforcing the Chinese tradition
of "a man being the bread earner while a woman the housewife." If the
woman's emancipation from the confinement of a painting can be claimed
as a victory, then the victory is very limited. She is yet to break out
of the cage of her house. However, for all its imperfectness, the legend's
popularity has never waned. After all, the fight between good and evil
far outweighs that for gender equality. When true love is yet hard to
attain in a despotic society, the aspiration for an equal gender relationship
might not be a top priority yet.
Story
retold/ translated by Haiwang Yuan, ©2004
Last updated: March 27, 2004 |
