Find more about Xi Shi 2009

It is the first original opera produced by National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), which adopts Western opera to interpret the ancient legends about beauty Xi Shi in a brand new way, recreating grand view of the war between the Kingdom of Wu and the Kingdom of Yue, as well as the legendary story of a beauty.

Opera Xi Shi gathers the first-grade domestic creation crew, with famous director Cao Qijing as director and well-known playwright Zou Jingzhi as playwright; meanwhile, Xi Shi is also the first opera work of famous composer, Lei Lei. The classical songs created by Lei Lei for many Chinese TV dramas such as Plainclothes Policeman, Aspiration, The Yellow Storm and etc., have been frequently heard by the Chinese people; stage designer Huang Kaifu, whose representative work is the highly praised Kunqu Opera The Peony Pavilion, is also a first-grade artist in China; as well as a series of magnificent dancing plots for pretty Xi Shi...all of these are going to be the highlights of the opera.

Synopsis
In 494 BC, during the battle in Kuaiji Mountain, the King of Yue, Gou Jian is defeated by the King of Wu; with no other options at hand, he promises that Yue would forever submit to Wu. After having been a slave for three years, he is finally released by the King of Wu, Fu Chai, and returns to Yue.

In order to defend and revive Yue, Gou Jian sends two beauties from Yue, Xi Shi and Zheng Dan into the luxurious palace of Fu Chai. Despite the love, beautiful jewelries and wines from Fu Chai, Xi Shi still misses her country all the time. General Wu Zixu has always opposed Fu Chai in releasing Gou Jian back Yue, and regards Xi Shi and Zheng Dan as Troy's Helen. During a banquet, after another dehortation turns out in vain, he becomes furious and kills Zheng Dan. Xi Shi is so grief that she threatens Fu Chai with death, and makes him had Wu Zixu beheaded. 

The death of Wu Zixu increases Yue's faith in conquering Wu. Gou Jian takes the opportunity to declare a war; his troops sweeps Wu and successfully revenges for past humiliation. After Wu's defeat, in Fu Chai's palace, Xi Shi changes into her own country's costume, hoping to return to homeland, but she ended up with facing the queen of Yue whose supremacy was threatened by Xi Shi.