Year:2006

Sort: Traditional Operas

Area:Jiangxi Province

Serial No.: IV-14

Declarer: Guangchang City, Jiangxi Province

The Guangchang Meng Opera, dating back to the earlyMing Dynasty(1368-1644), features the legend of Mengjiang Crying at theGreat Wall. It was popular in Guangchang County, Jiangxi Province and is over 500 years old.

The legend has it that 2,000 years ago, during the construction of the Wall, a young man called Fan Xiliang was forced to work on the massive project -- even on his wedding day. Before Fan went away, his bride, a girl named Meng Jiangnu, broke her whitejadehairpin in two, giving her husband half as a token of her love. Meng waited for her husband for five years without a word from him. One night, Meng dreamed that her husband was yelling, "Cold, cold!" Remembering that Fan went away wearing very thin clothes, Meng made some padded clothing and set off alone to look for him.