This volume contains eight plays, six of which are translated into English and introduced to the western world for the first time. In addition to ample annotation, an introduction is written for each play, enabling readers to approach and appreciate these ancient masterpieces-the forerunners of present-day Peking opera.

In the long history of China, the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) is somewhat special in that the empire was ruled by the Mongolian conquerors-descendants of Genghis Khan. It was a period when classical learning was swept aside and ignored, together with the pride and status of the Confucian scholars. It was probably this ideological vacuum and the freedom from traditional literary restraints at the top that gave rise to the flourish and bloom of this vernacular art - the drama, later known as zaju.Theaters mushroomed across the Country in both the rural and urban areas and became the major source of entertainment, as well as education, for millions upon millions of ordinary people. Their wish and worries were most vividly reflected on the stage. And by reading these plays today, we are still able to perceive the core values embraced by the Chinese culture.

An Introduction to the Yuan Plays

Anonymous

The Bubbles Bear Witness(朱砂担)

Qin Jianfu

The Eastside Neighbor(东堂老)

Li Zhifu

The Tiger Badge(虎头牌)

Anonymous

The Quilt with Mandarin Ducks(鸳鸯被)

Wu Hanchen

A Late—Born Son(老生儿)

Shi Junbao

Love atRiverBend(曲江池)

Anonymous

The Missing Deed(A同文字)

Shi Junbao

Qiu Hu Attempts to Seduce His Wife(秋胡戏妻)