Palace Of Eternal Youth
Jiangsu Kun Opera
Costume Design by Tim Yip
Kun 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 Palace of Eternal Youth is a play written by Hong Sheng during the Qing Dynasty. It absorbs certain material from the long narrative poem The Song of Everlasting Sorrow written by Bai Juyi, and the Zaju, Rain on the Paulownia Tree written by Bai Pu. The Palace of Eternal Youth is acclaimed as one of China’s “Four Great Classical Dramas”, along with The Peony Pavillion, The Peach Blossom and The Story of the Western Wing. The performance is focused on the everlasting love story of Emperor Ming of the Tang Dynasty and his favorite consort Lady Yang.
