Butterfly Lovers
Encyclopedia
The Butterfly Lovers is a Chinese legend of a tragic love story of a pair of lovers, Liang Shanbo (梁山伯) and Zhu Yingtai (祝英台), whose names form the title of the story. The title is often abbreviated to Liang Zhu (梁祝) and often regarded as the Chinese equivalent of Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...

.

Six cities in China have collaborated in 2004 on a formal application for the Proclamation of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity
Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity
The Proclamation of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity was made by the Director-General of UNESCO starting in 2001 to raise awareness on intangible cultural heritage and encourage local communities to protect them and the local people who sustain these forms of cultural...

 (http://portal.unesco.org/culture/en/ev.php-URL_ID=2226&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html) on the legend at UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...

 , submitted in 2006 through the Chinese Ministry of Culture
Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China
The Ministry of Culture is a ministry of the government of the People's Republic of China which is responsible for culture policy and activities in the country, including managing national museums and monuments; Astroturfing and promoting government policies; promoting and protecting the arts The...

.

Legend

The legend of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai is set in the Eastern Jin Dynasty.

Zhu Yingtai is a beautiful and intelligent young woman, the ninth child and only daughter of the wealthy Zhu family of Shangyu
Shangyu
Shangyu is a county-level city which is part of the prefecture-level city of Shaoxing in the Northeast of Zhejiang province of the People's Republic of China. Its 2004 population was over 770,000, up from 722,523 in the 2000 census. Shangyu is roughly fifty kilometers from north to south and about...

, Zhejiang
Zhejiang
Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...

. Although traditions of that era discourage females from going to school, Zhu manages to convince her father to allow her to attend classes in disguise as a young man. During her journey to Hangzhou
Hangzhou
Hangzhou , formerly transliterated as Hangchow, is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. Governed as a sub-provincial city, and as of 2010, its entire administrative division or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people...

, she meets Liang Shanbo, a scholar from Kuaiji (present-day Shaoxing
Shaoxing
Shaoxing is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. Located on the south bank of the Qiantang River estuary, it borders Ningbo to the east, Taizhou to the southeast, Jinhua to the southwest, and Hangzhou to the west. It was once known as "越"...

). They chat and feel a strong affinity for each other at their first meeting. Hence, they gather some soil as incense and take an oath of fraternity in the pavilion of a thatched bridge.

They study together for the next three years in school and Zhu gradually falls in love with Liang. Although Liang equals Zhu in their studies, he is still a bookworm and fails to notice the feminine characteristics exhibited by his classmate.

One day, Zhu receives a letter from her father, asking her to return home as soon as possible. Zhu has no choice but to pack her belongings immediately and bid Liang farewell. However, in her heart, she has already confessed her love for Liang and is determined to be with him for all eternity. Before her departure, she reveals her true identity to the headmaster's wife and requests her to hand over a jade pendant to Liang as a betrothal gift.

Liang accompanies his "sworn brother" for 18 miles to see her off. During the journey, Zhu hints to Liang that she is actually a woman. For example, she compares them to a pair of mandarin ducks (symbolic of lovers in Chinese culture) but Liang does not catch her hints and does not have even the slightest suspicion that his companion is a woman in disguise. Zhu finally comes up with an idea and tells Liang that she will act as a matchmaker for him and her "sister". Before they part, Zhu reminds Liang to visit her residence later so he can propose to marry her "sister." Liang and Zhu reluctantly part ways at the Changting pavilion.

Months later, when Liang visits Zhu, he discovers that she is actually a woman. They are devoted to and passionate about each other and they make a vow of "till death do us part". The joy of their reunion is short-lived as Zhu's parents have already arranged for her to marry a man from a rich family called Ma Wencai. Liang is heartbroken when he hears the news and his health gradually deteriorates until he becomes critically ill. He dies in office later as a county magistrate.

On the day of Ma and Zhu's marriage, mysterious whirlwinds prevent the wedding procession from escorting the bride beyond Liang's grave, which lies along the journey. Zhu leaves the procession to pay her respects to Liang. She descends in bitter despair and begs for the grave to open up. Suddenly, the grave opens with a clap of thunder. Without further hesitation, Zhu throws herself into the grave to join Liang. Their spirits turn into a pair of beautiful butterflies and emerge from the grave. They fly together as a pair and are never to be separated again.

Historical accounts

The earliest record of the legend can be traced back to the late Tang Dynasty. In Shidao Sifan Zhi (十道四蕃志), the author Liang Zaiyan (梁載言) wrote:

The righteous woman Zhu Yingtai was buried together with Liang Shanbo.


In Xuanshi Zhi (宣室志), the author Zhang Du (張讀) wrote:

Yingtai, a daughter of the Zhu family of Shangyu
Shangyu
Shangyu is a county-level city which is part of the prefecture-level city of Shaoxing in the Northeast of Zhejiang province of the People's Republic of China. Its 2004 population was over 770,000, up from 722,523 in the 2000 census. Shangyu is roughly fifty kilometers from north to south and about...

, disguised herself as a man and attended school together with Liang Shanbo from Kuaiji (present-day Shaoxing
Shaoxing
Shaoxing is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. Located on the south bank of the Qiantang River estuary, it borders Ningbo to the east, Taizhou to the southeast, Jinhua to the southwest, and Hangzhou to the west. It was once known as "越"...

). Shanbo's style name
Chinese style name
A Chinese style name, sometimes also known as a courtesy name , is a given name to be used later in life. After 20 years of age, the zì is assigned in place of one's given name as a symbol of adulthood and respect...

 was "Churen". Zhu returned home first. Two years later, Shanbo visited her and only knew that she was a woman then. He was disappointed and felt as though he had made a loss. He asked her parents for her hand in marriage but her family had already betrothed her to the Ma family. Shanbo assumed office as a magistrate in Yin (鄞; in present-day western Ningbo
Ningbo
Ningbo is a seaport city of northeastern Zhejiang province, Eastern China. Holding sub-provincial administrative status, the municipality has a population of 7,605,700 inhabitants at the 2010 census whom 3,089,180 in the built up area made of 6 urban districts. It lies south of the Hangzhou Bay,...

) and died of illness later and was buried west of the city of Mao (鄮, in eastern Ningbo). Zhu was on her journey to the Ma residence by boat and passed by Liang's grave. The strong wind and waves prevent the boat from advancing. After learning that it was Shanbo's grave, she set foot on land and broke down. The ground suddenly cracked open and Zhu was buried within. Jin Dynasty chancellor Xie An
Xie An
200px|right|thumb|Statue of xie anXie An , courtesy name Anshi , formally Duke Wenjing of Luling , was a Jin Dynasty statesman who, despite his lack of military ability, led Jin through a major crisis—attacks by Former Qin...

 proclaimed the grave as "Tomb of the righteous woman".


The legend was also recorded in various official records such as Yinxian Zhi (鄞縣志), Ningbofu Zhi (寧波府志) and Yixing Jingxi Xinzhi (宜興荊溪新志).

Liang-Zhu Cultural Park

The Liang Shanbo Temple built in 347 by the locals in memory of Liang Shanbo, who had contributed greatly during his term in office as a magistrate to resolving the problems caused by the flooding of the river. The Liang-Zhu Cultural Park in Ningbo was built by the locals, with the love story as its main theme. The "Liang-Zhu Tomb" (梁祝塚), "Liang Shanbo Temple" (梁山伯廟), "Husband and Wife Bridge" (夫妻橋) and Qin Gong (寢宮) are officially recognized by the Chinese Liang-Zhu Culture Association as culturally significant sites for the birth of the legend.

Stage plays and operas

The legend had been adapted into traditional Chinese opera
Chinese opera
Chinese opera is a popular form of drama and musical theatre in China with roots going back as far as the third century CE...

 in several local varieties, as Liang Zhu in Yue opera
Yueju opera
Yueju opera is a form of Chinese opera founded around 1906. Over time, it grew in popularity, now second only to the Beijing opera.Yueju was initially performed by men only, but female groups started performing in the style in 1923, and during the 1930–1940s, the form became female-only.- External...

 (also called Shaoxing opera) and In the Shade of the Willow (柳蔭記) in Sichuan opera
Sichuan opera
Sichuanese opera is a type of Chinese opera originating in China's Sichuan province around 1700. Today's Sichuan opera is a relatively recent synthesis of 5 historic melodic styles...

. The Yue opera version was made into a colour motion picture in the 1950s in China. The filming by the Ministry of Culture and the East China Military and Political Commission took place in Zhu's legendary hometown of Shangyu.

Based on the romance, the Shaw Brothers Studio
Shaw Brothers Studio
The Shaw Brothers Studio , owned by Shaw Brothers Ltd., was the foremost and the largest movie production company of Hong Kong movies.From their distribution base in Singapore where they founded parent company Shaw Organization in 1924, and as a strategic development of their movie distribution...

 also produced Love Eterne, a film in Huangmei opera
Huangmei Opera
Huangmei opera or Huangmei tone originated as a form of rural folksong and dance that has been in existence for the last 200 years and possibly longer. The music is performed with a pitch that hits high and stays high for the duration of the song...

 directed by Li Han-hsiang in 1962, starring Ivy Ling Po
Ivy Ling Po
Ivy Ling Po is a Chinese actress and Huangmei opera singer. She played an important role in the entertainment industry for preserving the art form.-1950s - 1960s:...

 and Betty Loh.

In 1981, Jann Paxton conceived a full length ballet, titled The Butterfly Lovers Ballet, which made its official United States premiere in 1982 at the Agnes de Mille Theatre by the North Carolina School of the Arts
North Carolina School of the Arts
The University of North Carolina School of the Arts , formerly the North Carolina School of the Arts, is a public coeducational arts conservatory in Winston-Salem, North Carolina that grants high school, undergraduate and graduate degrees. It is one of the seventeen constituent campuses of the...

 in Winston-Salem
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to...

, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

. The leading roles were played by Sean Hayes and Alicia Fowler. Paxton's story line followed the classic Chinese version, but with the addition of several supporting characters.

In May 2001, a group of students from the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...

 formed the Liang Zhu Drama Production Company, and rewrote the whole story into a contemporary drama that was performed in English.

A Cantonese stage musical was produced in 2005, featuring pop singer-actress Denise Ho
Denise Ho
Denise Ho Wan-See, also known as HOCC, is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer.-1996-2001:Denise Ho was born in Hong Kong and received her education in Canada and Diocesan Girls' Junior School, Hong Kong. She emigrated with her family to Montreal, Quebec at the age of 11. She studied and graduated High...

 as the title role.

The story has been adapted into Vietnamese Cai Luong
Cai luong
Tuồng cải lương or cải lương in short, which can be roughly translated as "reformed theater" or "renovated theater" in English, is a form of modern folk opera in Vietnam...

 a number of times, with its Sino-Vietnamese title as "Lương Sơn Bá-Chúc Anh Đài. The story's ending is similar to the original one but with some differences. The leading roles have been played by Vietnamese actors and actresses such as Hương Lan, Phi Nhung, Tái Linh, Phương Mai, Mạnh Quỳnh and Vũ Linh.

Film and television

  • The Love Eterne (1963) - a Hong Kong musical film of the Huangmei opera genre, directed by Li Han-hsiang

  • The Lovers
    The Lovers (1994 film)
    The Lovers is a 1994 Hong Kong romance film based on the Chinese legend of the Butterfly Lovers. It was directed and produced by Tsui Hark, and starred Nicky Wu, Charlie Yeung, Elvis Tsui and Carrie Ng...

    (1994) – a Hong Kong film directed by Tsui Hark
    Tsui Hark
    Tsui Hark , born Tsui Man-kong, is a Hong Kong New Wave film director and producer. He is viewed as a major figure in the Golden Age of Hong Kong cinema .-Early life:...

    , starring Charlie Yeung and Nicky Wu
    Nicky Wu
    Nicky Wu is a Taiwanese singer and actor. Wu found fame in 1988, by joining the Taiwanese boy band, Little Tigers Team, performing alongside Alec Su and Julian Chen. Since then, his career has also expanded into film and television in Taiwan, Hong Kong and mainland China.-Childhood:Nicky Wu is the...


  • Qishi Fuqi – Liang Shanbo Yu Zhu Yingtai (七世夫妻-梁山伯與祝英台) (1999) – produced by Formosa TV
    Formosa TV
    Formosa TV is a television station based in Taipei, Taiwan. Established on March 27, 1996, FTV began broadcasting on June 11, 1997.The station was wholly owned and operated by the Democratic Progressive Party. Due to this, its news programs are often of a Pan-Green perspective...

     in Taiwanese Hokkien, starring Zhao Jing and Alyssa Chia

  • Xin Liang Shanbo Yu Zhu Yingtai (新梁山伯與祝英台) (2000) - released by CTV
    China Television
    China Television Company, Ltd. was established on September 3, 1968 by the then-ruling Nationalist Party of the Republic of China . The party owned the majority stake of the network...

    , starring Show Luo
    Show Luo
    Show Luo also known as Xiao Zhu was born on 30 July 1979. He is a Taiwanese entertainer: Mandopop singer, dancer, host and actor. He has been dubbed "Dancing King of Asia" for his dancing skills.-Biography:...

     and Noel Leung
    Noel Leung
    Noel Leung Siu Bing is an actress for many TVB series. She was the second runner-up in Miss Hong Kong 1990.-Filmography:* Thief of Honor * The Revelation of the Last Hero...

    .

  • Butterfly Lovers
    Butterfly Lovers (2007 TV series)
    Butterfly Lovers is a Chinese television series based on the legend of the Butterfly Lovers, starring Peter Ho and Dong Jie as Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai respectively...

    (2007) – starring Peter Ho
    Peter Ho
    Peter Ho Jun-tung is an American-Taiwanese singer and actor. Ho was born in Los Angeles, California, and raised in Taiwan and Canada...

     and Dong Jie
    Dong Jie
    Dong Jie is a Chinese actress and dancer.-Biography:Dong made her debut in Zhang Yimou's Happy Times , where she played a blind girl mistreated by her stepmother. Zhang selected Dong after a casting call on the Internet...


  • The Butterfly Lovers
    The Butterfly Lovers (2008 film)
    The Butterfly Lovers, also known as The Assassin's Blade or Jiandie , is a 2008 Hong Kong film directed by Jingle Ma and starring Wu Chun, Charlene Choi and Hu Ge...

    (2008) – a Hong Kong film based on the legend, but in a wuxia
    Wuxia
    Wuxia is a broad genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists. Although wuxia is traditionally a form of literature, its popularity has caused it to spread to diverse art forms like Chinese opera, manhua , films, television series, and video games...

     setting, directed by Jingle Ma
    Jingle Ma
    Jingle Ma Cho Shing is the Hong Kong-based writer/director of action films such as Tokyo Raiders and Seoul Raiders. He can speak 5 different languages and currently lives in Hong Kong with his 7 children.-Filmography:-External links:* at * *...

     and starring Wu Chun
    Wu Chun
    Wu Chun was born on 10 October 1979, birth name Goh Kiat Chun, is a Brunei-born Taiwanese actor, singer, former model and gym instructor....

     and Charlene Choi
    Charlene Choi
    Charlene Choi is a Hong Kong based actress and singer. She is a member of Cantopop group Twins, along with Gillian Chung.-Biography:...


  • The Butterfly Lovers: Leon and Jo (蝴蝶夢-梁山伯與祝英台) – an animated film directed by Tsai Min-chin, voice-played by Elva Hsiao
    Elva Hsiao
    Elva Hsiao, also known as Elva Siu, was born on 24 August 1979. She is a Taiwanese Mandopop singer.-Biography:She was educated at John Casablanca's College in Vancouver, British Columbia. She is fluent in both written and spoken English. While in Vancouver, she attended the New Talent Singing...

    , René Liu
    René Liu
    René Liu was born June 1, 1969. She is a Taiwanese actress and singer. She is the first to win Best Actress awards at the Asia Pacific Movie Festival in both television and film productions...

     and Jacky Wu
    Jacky Wu
    Wu Jing , sometimes credited as Jacky Wu or Jing Wu, is a Chinese martial artist, actor and film director. Wu is perhaps best known as Hawkman / Jackie in 1996 film Tai Chi Boxer and Kong Ko in 2006 film Fatal Contact.-Personal life:At age six he was sent to the Beijing Sports Institute at Shichahai...

    .

Music

The story also inspired the production of Butterfly Lovers' Violin Concerto
Butterfly Lovers' Violin Concerto
The Butterfly Lovers' Violin Concerto is one of the most famous works of Chinese music and certainly one of the most famous outside of China. It is an orchestral adaptation of an ancient legend, the Butterfly Lovers...

, or Liang Zhu Violin Concerto
Violin concerto
A violin concerto is a concerto for solo violin and instrumental ensemble, customarily orchestra. Such works have been written since the Baroque period, when the solo concerto form was first developed, up through the present day...

as known in Chinese, a work for violin and orchestra. It was composed by Chen Gang and He Zhanhao in 1958. The piece has been the most musically symbolic retelling of the legend; at 25 minutes and 40 seconds long, it is one of the classics of traditional Chinese music. During the 1970s, Hong Kong television station TVB
Television Broadcasts Limited
Television Broadcasts Limited, commonly known as TVB, is the second over-the-air commercial television station in Hong Kong. It commenced broadcasting on 19 November 1967...

 adapted the legend as a musical miniseries, with Roman Tam
Roman Tam
Roman Tam, known by the stage name Lo Man , nickname Law Kee , was a renowned Hong Kong Cantopop singer. He is regarded as the "Godfather of Cantopop".-Career:...

 and Susanna Kwan
Susanna Kwan
Susanna Kwan Kuk-ying is a 1974-1987, 2006-Present Hong Kong female singer. She has recently been an actress for a number of TVB shows. Her nickname is "Big Doll" or "Small Sworn Mother" . She had been married to Lai Siu-tin followed by a divorce. In February 5, 1990 to January 1, 2006, she moved...

 supplying the vocals for the soundtrack composed by Joseph Koo
Joseph Koo
Joseph Koo Kar-Fai, MBE, SBS is one of the most respected composers in Hong Kong. He used the pen name Moran for Mandarin songs. He is the younger brother of famous Chinese singer Koo Mei .-Career:...

. The musical piece was used as the theme music for more than two films.
  • Butterfly (2004) – the 15th track in the Shining Energy
    Shining Energy
    Shining Energy is considered as the 2nd Japanese album by Twelve Girls Band. It consists of fifteen songs in a sort of modernized Chinese form...

    album by Twelve Girls Band
    Twelve Girls Band
    Twelve Girls Band are an all female Chinese musical group that initially consisted of twelve members before the addition of a thirteenth. Twelve Girls Band use traditional Chinese instruments to play both traditional Chinese and Western music. Formed on June 18, 2001, the women were selected by...


  • Liang Shanbo Yu Zhuliye (梁山伯與茱麗葉; Liang Shanbo and Juliet) (2006) – a duet performed by Gary Cao and Genie Zhuo
    Genie Zhuo
    Genie Chuo was born on 20 January 1986. She is a Taiwanese Mandopop singer and actress, and also known as Genie Zhuo, "Xuan Xuan" or "Xiao Mi" .-Biography:...

    . It was listed as the 1st track in the Xi Guan (習慣) album by Genie Zhuo.

  • Shuang Fei (雙飛) – a song associated with the story. It was used as one of the theme songs for The Lovers
    The Lovers (1994 film)
    The Lovers is a 1994 Hong Kong romance film based on the Chinese legend of the Butterfly Lovers. It was directed and produced by Tsui Hark, and starred Nicky Wu, Charlie Yeung, Elvis Tsui and Carrie Ng...

    (1994) and the ending theme song for Butterfly Lovers
    Butterfly Lovers (2007 TV series)
    Butterfly Lovers is a Chinese television series based on the legend of the Butterfly Lovers, starring Peter Ho and Dong Jie as Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai respectively...

    (2007). It was performed by Nicky Wu
    Nicky Wu
    Nicky Wu is a Taiwanese singer and actor. Wu found fame in 1988, by joining the Taiwanese boy band, Little Tigers Team, performing alongside Alec Su and Julian Chen. Since then, his career has also expanded into film and television in Taiwan, Hong Kong and mainland China.-Childhood:Nicky Wu is the...

     in 1994 and Peter Ho
    Peter Ho
    Peter Ho Jun-tung is an American-Taiwanese singer and actor. Ho was born in Los Angeles, California, and raised in Taiwan and Canada...

    in 2007.

External links

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