Introduction／

The Urtext Version of The Peony Pavilion — Rediscovering the Beauty of Tradition

Have you seen The Peony Pavilion? Have you experienced its many adaptations?
Now, a grand Kunqu performance that returns to the work’s original spirit is about to unfold.
Taiwan Kunqu Opera Troupe proudly presents the Urtext Version of The Peony Pavilion, inviting you to step into the dreamlike, poetic world envisioned by Tang Xian-Zu.

The Peony Pavilion: “Jing Meng” (The Dream Interrupted)
An excerpt from The Peony Pavilion by Tang Xian-Zu of the Ming dynasty. In the original text, this section is collectively titled “Jing Meng.” In Kunqu performance tradition, The Peony Pavilion divides it into two scenes—“You Yuan” (Strolling in the Garden) and “Jing Meng” (The Dream Interrupted). Set in the Southern Song dynasty, the scene centers on Du Li-Niang, the only daughter of Du Bao, the magistrate of Nan’an. After a lesson on the Book of Songs, specifically the poem Guan Ju, taught by her tutor Chen Zui-Liang, Du Li-Niang unexpectedly awakens to feelings of youthful longing. Accompanied by her maid Chun-Xiang, she wanders through the back garden, where the sight of abandoned wells and crumbling walls suddenly stirs a deep sense of springtime melancholy. After returning to her chamber, she falls asleep. In her dreams, she meets the young scholar Liu Meng-Mei in the garden. The two pledge their love before parting.

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