The Peony Pavilion is a classic Chinese play by Tang Xianzu, the great dramatist of the Ming Dynasty. The love story of four hundred years is still of profound significance both in humanism and aesthetics today. It is claimed that the play is a love journey in wonderland, a soul-exploring song of freedom, a solemn proclamation of life and a touching poem of romance.  

The adaptation of the original Kunqu Opera is surely a tough challenge, for The Peony Pavilion has long been established in Kunqu Opera repertoire with its moving music, graceful libretto, cadent dialogue and complicated plot. Besides, it is by no means easy to achieve the same expressiveness in a short dance presentation as the 55-scene opera. However, a thorough study shows that among other things, Tang Xianzu's works are of high artistic adaptability. The dream-like setting and fantasy-like love making in the play provide great opportunity for dance movements to show their strength in presenting the essence of the play in an entirely new theatrical art form.



Synopsis
In the early days of the Southern Song Dynasty, Du Liniang, the sixteen-year old daughter of the magistrate Du of Nan'an, Jiangxi and a descendant of the famous poet Du Fu of Tang Dynasty, is first awakening  to love. During her spring outing she comes across a gallant young scholar Liu Mengmei, a descendant of the Scholar Liu Zongyuan of Tang Dynasty and they deeply fall in love at first sight. When Du Liniang is dozing off at the Peony Pavilion in the back garden of Du's, she meets Liu again in her dream and they are indulged in love-sharing. She wakes up to find herself desperate in love. She is pining away with lovesickness thereafter and her family can do nothing about it. Dying, Liniang draws a self-portrait to leave her beauty to the living world, hoping that some day the one she loves will cherish it.

Liniang's soul is being escorted by the messenger of Death through a marketplace when she spots Liu Mengmei, who, on his way to the imperial tests, is thrilled at sight of Liniang's portrait at a gallery by chance and buys the picture. Having seen all this, the soul of Liniang rushes to get reunited with him. They swear ever-lasting love to each other. This is after all a love between the living and the dead. The Messengers of Death tear the soul of Liniang away from Liu, and Liu cannot bear to part with her and starts a desperate pursuit. At Hell Liniang is tortured ruthlessly but not repentant. She appeals to the Infernal Judge for her rights of love and life with the story of her abiding love. The Gods and Spirits are deeply moved by her heartrending experience and her persistence in love. The Infernal Judge makes the ruling of opening the gate of Hell to send her back to the living world. At the same time Liu Mengmei, going through all kinds of hardships, eventually finds Liniang at the Du's and wakens her up with the cry of love. The two lovers, Du Liniang and Liu Mengmei, break the boundary of life and death and get married at last.