Failing the imperial examination, LIU Yong begins to lead a life of debauchery with coquettes, poems and wine. He isn’t stung by remorse or feels determined to pass the imperial examination until he receives a letter from his wife that urges him to bear in mind the oath he had taken ten years ago when leaving his home. Although he later passes the exam, a poem, The Crane Soaring to the Sky in his writing offends the imperial court, which deprives him of his scholarly honour. Despite grief and indignation, LIU Yong cannot but cynically call himself “LIU Sanbian that composes poems on imperial orders.” He gets frustrated, dispirited and down-hearted when paying a formal visit to high officials in the Yangtze River delta region. Inevitably, he violates a taboo in officialdom and falls defeated by destiny yet again. Having wandering around for about six years in the Yangtze River delta region, he returns to the Xiefang Brothel only to find that Chongniang is no longer what she used to be and she is no longer there. In his fifties, LIU Yong passes the imperial examination and serves as a local magistrate. In his later years, he receives judicial mercy from Emperor Renzong of Song, who recalls him to the capital and appoints him an idle fifth-rank official at the Ministry of Revenue. Meanwhile, he is faces incurable illness and is no longer a womanizer, who is accompanied by Chongniang and Chuchu from time to time. He refuses to “write poems and essays” upon the emperor’s order to sing praises of the imperial court. In his last moments, he looks back at his life and becomes ahe great poetry writer composing pieces about nature and leaving the world with masterpieces.

Playwright: WANG Renjie

Director: XU Chunlan

Associate Director: XU Jianli

Singing Tune Designer: LIAN Bo, HU Mengqiao

Composer/Orchestrator/LIU Poetry Composer: DONG Weijie

Set Designer: LIU Xinglin

Lighting Designer: HU Yaohui

Costume Modelling Designer: LAN Ling, ZHANG Ying, JIN Fei

Makeup Designer: DONG Hui, OUYANG Haiyan

LIU Yong: WANG Jun’an

Chongniang: ZHENG Quan

Chuchu: CHEN Cuihong

Suniang: ZOU Meiying

Emperor Renzong of Song: XU Weichai

SUN Mian: GUO Liying

Private Adviser: XING Lihua

Imperial Music Office Director: ZHANG Difei

LIU An: FANG Xiaoying

Jianiang: ZHANG Qianqian

Xinniang: TANG Wanying

Yaoqing: ZHU Hongbo

Xiuxiang: ZHAO Yang

Yingying: ZHAO Si

Here’s a story that took place on a spring day in ancient times: In a barren town that has just been havocked by war, squire DAI Liyan, who has lost his family property, is seriously ill and in low spirits all day long. His younger sister DAI Xiu is cheerful and lively, while looking forward to the future. In the run-down house, he and his wife Yuwen lead a stagnant livelihood. Unexpectedly, his friend ZHANG Zhichen, who has been away for eight years, turns up. ZHANG Zhichen is a doctor and the ex-boyfriend of Yuwen, and like a streak of dim moonlight, he lights up Yuwen’s dark life. DAI Xiu falls in love with Zhichen. Liyan wants to make a match between Zhichen and DAI Xiu, but discovers Yuwen and Zichen still love each other. Liyan wants to kill himself with poison, so Yuwen could marry Zhichen, but he is saved by Zhichen. Finally, Yuwen and Zhichen choose to part with each other, with Zhichen leaving and everything becomes the same as before just as if only a gust of spring breeze had come and gone away.

Based on the film Spring in a Small Town

Directed by ZENG Jingping

Playwright: CAI Fujun

Director: ZENG Jingping

Associate Director: ZENG Long

Singing Tune Designer/Composer/Orchestrator: KONG Jiachao

Set Designer: WU Tifeng

Lighting Designer: Georges Lavaudant

Costume Designer: MU Lihua

Makeup Director: DONG Hui

Makeup Stylist: OUYANG Haiyan

Props Designer: SONG Haojie

Conductor, Drummer: ZHOU Shukai

Principal Instrumentalist: WENG Xin

ZHANG Zhichen: XU Weichai

ZHOU Yuwen: ZHANG Qianqian

DAI Liyan: XING Lihua

DAI Xiu: YU Aili

LIN An: WU Minyan

Soloist: WU Minfei, YU Aili

Accompanist: ZHANG Haiyan, TANG Wanying

SHEN Guisheng, born of a distinguished family in Suzhou, loses his father in early childhood, but he has talent with a bold and uninhibited character. His teacher ZHANG Guoxun betroths his daughter Yayun to him. Despite virtuousness, Yayun is born pretentious and the couple have different temperaments and interests that they almost fall out with each other. One day, SHEN Guisheng’s intimate friend SHEN Junqing invites him to visit Santang, where they see a Buddhist nun planting peach trees with a hoe. SHEN recites a poem to sneer at her, but to his surprise, she answers back sarcastically. He takes her for a fairy and inquires about her identity, getting to know that she is named WANG Zhizhen and lives in Fahua Nunnery. He visits her several times and they pour out their hearts to each other. SHEN is determined to divorce his wife and marry WANG, but he falls seriously ill beforehand, when WANG has gotten pregnant. As he is dying, SHEN gives WANG his hereditary treasure jade dragonfly and dies holding a grudge. After giving birth to a son, Zhizhen bears the pain reluctantly and abandons the baby with the jade dragonfly on his belly as a mark. The baby is picked up by Assistant Minister XU’s wife Ms. YANG, who is old and childless, takes the baby for a God-given gift, names him Yuanzai, and loves him as if he were a pearl in the palm. Coincidentally, Ms. YANG and ZHANG Yayun are close family friends, so she makes Yuanzi ZHANG Yayun’s adopted child, and Yuanzai has three mothers. Yuanzai grows up and surpasses all others in intelligence. He wins first place in provincial imperial examinations at the age of 16. Later, Yayun and Ms. YANG contend for the son, with the blood letter and jade dragonfly coming into sight. Yuanzai reads the blood letter carefully and gets to know his mother’s real name. Then he goes to Fahua Nunnery to visit her. After several twists and turns, he finds his mother and gets to know the truth. Yuanzai mediates between Yayun and Zhizhen with tears of blood running down, with the old grudge between them eliminated. However, a cup of bitter wine brings disaster to two generations, and despite the reunion, there is still hidden trouble...

Artistic Director: YIN Guifang

General Director: HUANG Zumo

Playwright: XU Jin, LIANG Zhongqiu

Composer: LIAN Bo

Set Designer: CHEN Zinan, XIONG Changling

Lighting Designer: CHEN Dun

Costume Designer: WANG Ling, JIANG Ke, JIN Xingsheng

Technical Director: LI Lansun, KONG Xiaofu

Associate Director: CHEN Tong

Stylist: DONG Hui, OUYANG Haiyan

Drummer: ZHOU Shukai

Principal Instrumentalist: XU Yanping

XU Yuanzai: WANG Jun’an

SHEN Guisheng: XU Weichai

WANG Zhizhen: LIMin (second half)

WANG Zhizhen: ZHANG Qianqian (first half)

ZHANG Yayun: Chen Cuihong

Ms. YANG: LOU Lihua