Xue Ping-guei Crossing Three Gates is a traditional drama of the xinlu(new style)Luantan Opera. It tells the story of Xue Ping-guei and his two wives. On his expedition to Xiliang, Xue Ping-guei married Princess Daizhan and succeeded to the Xiliang throne. After 18 years, a pigeon brought a letter f...Read more
Xue Ping-guei Crossing Three Gates is a traditional drama of the xinlu(new style)Luantan Opera. It tells the story of Xue Ping-guei and his two wives. On his expedition to Xiliang, Xue Ping-guei married Princess Daizhan and succeeded to the Xiliang throne. After 18 years, a pigeon brought a letter from his primary wife, Wang Bao-chuan, informing him of her prolonged suffering waiting for him in the cold kiln that had been her house all these years. Anxious to get back to Bao-chuan, Ping-guei inebriated Princess Daizhan on the pretext of his birthday celebration. While she was asleep drunk, he left a note and fled Xiliang to return to his hometown. When Princess Daizhan woke up to find the note, she followed Ping-guei all the way to the third border gate. Ping-guei begged Princess Daizhan to consider the plight of Bao-chuan and let him go. Moved by Bao-chuan's miseries, Princess Daizhan decided to camp on the border to wait for Ping-guei and to offer him help should dangers arise. She gave Ping-guei a wild goose as a messenger, asking Ping-guei to send the wild goose back should he need to notify her of any imminent peril.
The leading sheng (male characters) of Hanyang Beiguan Troup, Lin Zeng-hua, plays the part of Xue Ping-guei. Master Li Ah-zhi plays Princess Daizhan. Master Li specializes in ku dan (tragic female characters), both in Taiwanese Opera and Luantan Opera. She won the title of Best Female dan (female characters) at the National Local Theater Contest twice in 1988 and 1993 with Taiwanese Opera Stories of the Loyal and Righteous and Luantan Opera Herbal Tea. Both Lin and Li's parts were given over to much singing in this drama. In one particular scene, Rushing through Three Gates, the septuagenarian Master Li had to run circles on stage to convey Princess Daizhan's anxiety. She made her circles fast and steady, showing off her competence accumulated from many years』 performances on stage.
Category | Xiqu(Traditional Opera) |
Type | Luantan Opera |
Chinese Title | 走三關 |
Group | Hanyan Beiguan Troupe |
Creative staff | Hanyan Beiguan Troupe |
Subtitle | Mandarin Chinese / English |
Premiere | 1988-12-13,National Center for Traditional Arts,Yi |
Venue | National Center for Traditional Arts ,Yilan |
Duration | 50min |
Image Source | Hanyan Beiguan Troupe、Bureau of Cultural Heritage,Ministry of Culture |
Other Works | The Battle of Luohua River Visiting Younger Sister Wang Ying Leaving Er-long Mountain |