Du Liniang
Encyclopedia
Du Liniang is a fictional character from Tang Xianzu
's play The Peony Pavilion
. "Du" is her last name, "Li" means beautiful, and "Niang", girl. Only sixteen years old, she encounters a dream lover Liu Mengmei
when she falls asleep in a long-abandoned garden. Overcome by lovesickness, she wastes away and dies, only to be brought back to life. She haunts Liu Mengmei, who now lives in the garden, until he promises to exhume her. She is resurrected and joined in marriage with Liu.
Today, Du Liniang is most often seen on the Kunqu
stage, where her role is the best-loved of the guimendan role types. Famous interpreters of the role have included Mei Lanfang
, Zhang Jiqing and Jennifer Hua Wenyi.
Tang Xianzu
Tang Xianzu , courtesy name Yireng , was a Chinese playwright of the Ming Dynasty.Tang was a native of Linchuan, Jiangxi and his career as an official consisted principally of low-level positions. He successfully participated in the Provincial examinations at the age of 21 and at the imperial...
's play The Peony Pavilion
The Peony Pavilion
The Peony Pavilion is a play written by Tang Xianzu in the Ming Dynasty and first performed in 1598 at the Pavilion of Prince Teng. One of Tang's "Four Dreams", it has traditionally been performed as a Kunqu opera, but Chuan and Gan opera versions also exist...
. "Du" is her last name, "Li" means beautiful, and "Niang", girl. Only sixteen years old, she encounters a dream lover Liu Mengmei
Liu Mengmei
Liu Mengmei is the main fictionalized character within Tang Xianzu's play The Peony Pavilion, "Liu" meaning 'willow' and "Mengmei" 'dream of plum'. Mengmei was a descendant to the reputed poet Liu Zongyuan, Prefect of Liuzhou during the Tang Dynasty period, and would be born into a family branch...
when she falls asleep in a long-abandoned garden. Overcome by lovesickness, she wastes away and dies, only to be brought back to life. She haunts Liu Mengmei, who now lives in the garden, until he promises to exhume her. She is resurrected and joined in marriage with Liu.
Today, Du Liniang is most often seen on the Kunqu
Kunqu
Kunqu , also known as Kunju , Kun opera or Kunqu Opera, is one of the oldest extant forms of Chinese opera. It evolved from the Kunshan melody, and dominated Chinese theatre from the 16th to the 18th centuries. The style originated in the Wu cultural area...
stage, where her role is the best-loved of the guimendan role types. Famous interpreters of the role have included Mei Lanfang
Méi Lánfang
Mei Lanfang was one of the most famous Beijing opera artists in modern history, exclusively known for his qingyi roles, a type of dan role. Méi Lánfāng is his stage name, and in Chinese it is generally considered a feminine name. His real name was Méi Lán...
, Zhang Jiqing and Jennifer Hua Wenyi.