1 . Known as “China’s most popular love comedy”, Romance of the Western Chamber is regarded as one of the best works of its time. The play was written over 700 years ago by Yuan Dynasty dramatist Wang Shifu (1260-1336).
Set in the Tang Dynasty, the play tells the secret love story between a young scholar Zhang Sheng, who is on his way to take the highest imperial exam in the capital city, and Cui Yingying, daughter of a chief minister of the Tang court.
After bandits(土匪) surround Cui at a temple, her mother promises her daughter’s hand in marriage to whoever can defeat them. Zhang manages to drive the bandits away, but Cui’s mother takes back her word because Zhang is poor. However, Zhang and Cui have already fallen in love. With the help of Cui’s maid Hong Niang, the two continue their romance and break many barriers.
The play incorporates much of the beauty of the poetry from the Tang and Song eras in Chinese history. Part of its appeal to readers is found in the style, grace and flow of the language. In fact, the play represents a high mark of achievement in romantic Chinese literature, and is quite popular. It has given rise to many sequels and rewritings, and also influenced countless plays, short stories and novels. The Peony Pavilion and Dream of the Red Chamber probably wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for Wang’s classic play.
The play also inspired generations of artists across various mediums such as woodblock prints, paintings and porcelain. This fine art is still on display at places such as Freer Gallery of Art in the US and Kwun Tong’s Sun Museum in Hong Kong.
The ancient porcelain pieces depicting iconic scenes from the tale are indeed impressive. The characters are like “the superheroes from another time”, Rachel Leung, associate curator(副馆长) of Sun Museum told China Daily. “It’s exactly like the Marvel franchise.”
“This story is basically about trying to break the societal strictures. It’s about courage and perseverance to pursue true love,” Leung said. “It’s surprising to know that centuries ago our ancestors imagined a story like that. They proved that they were not rigid or passive and they could be creative enough to make things for themselves.”
Indeed, Romance of the Western Chamber is known for opposing traditional norms associated with marriage and love during a more orthodox era. It has a positive take on marriage, emphasizing that true love should prevail(占上风).
1. What can we know about Romance of the Western Chamber?| A．It was composed earlier than The Peony Pavilion. |
| B．The characters in the story have supernatural powers. |
| C．It represents the highest achievement in Chinese literature. |
| D．The appeal of the play is mainly found in its complex plot. |
| A．Courage and perseverance are of vital importance to social connections. |
| B．It was believed that our ancestors were conservative and lacked creativity. |
| C．Romance of the Western Chamber enjoys popularity among the Marvel fans. |
| D．Everyone should take a positive and unconventional attitude toward marriage. |
| A．Open-minded. | B．Dynamic. | C．Ambiguous. | D．Conventional. |
| A．The Rise of China’s Love Comedies |
| B．Wang Shifu and His Most Popular Works |
| C．Marriage and Traditional Norms |
| D．Love Comes First |
2 . Regrowth Poetry Competition is open to all published and unpublished, UK and non-UK based male and female writers over 16 years of age. This competition is open to poetry submissions. Poems must be based around the theme of “regrowth, birth, survival, and new life” and in any genre. The poem should be between 5 and 30 lines in length (including title).
Entry details, rules and regulations to the competition are listed below:
1. All entries must be sent using the form online.
2. Entry will cost £4.00. You can pay online via PayPal or credit card. You can also pay by cheque, making it payable to Susan Cawte. The postal address is 412 Thorold Road, Ilford, Essex, IG1 4HF. Multiple entries are allowed.
3. Entries will not be returned.
4. All entries submitted must be work which has not been published elsewhere or submitted to another competition which is currently still open.
5. All entries must be your own work. Any entry found to be plagiarized or printed elsewhere will be disqualified.
6. All entries submitted must clearly state the author's name, address, email address and contact telephone number on the submission.
7. The winner will be notified within one month of the closing date.
8. The closing date for entries is midnight (BST) 30th April 2016.
Prizes:
1st: £50, published story in the magazine, and a feature article about the winning author.
2nd: £25, story published in the magazine.
The 20 shortlisted authors will be listed online in May. Winners will be announced on 1st June 2016.
1. What should be the theme of the poems in the competition?| A．Peace. | B．Friendship. |
| C．Regrowth. | D．Health. |
| A．you can only submit one entry |
| B．you must be a British boy of 16 |
| C．you have to pay the entry fee by cheque |
| D．you must send the entries before 30th April 2016 |
| A．Written. | B．Copied. | C．Typed. | D．Read. |
