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Lady White Snake
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The Broken Bridge |
The Broken Bridge |
The Broken Bridge |
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Le, Yiping |
Tu, Wanfang |
Tu, Wanfang Wang, Taiqi |
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The Broken Bridge |
The Broken Bridge |
The Broken Bridge |
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Tu, Wanfang Yin, Haiyi Wang, Taiqi |
Tu, Wanfang Yin, Haiyi |
Tu, Wanfang Yin, Haiyi Wang, Taiqi |
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The Broken Bridge |
The Broken Bridge |
The Broken Bridge |
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Liang, Shuang Yang, Ling |
Liang, Shuang Yang, Ling |
Liang, Shuang Yang, Ling |
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The Broken Bridge |
The Broken Bridge |
The Broken Bridge |
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Xin, Yurong |
Xin, Yurong |
Yang, Ling Xin, Yurong |
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The Broken Bridge |
The Broken Bridge |
The Broken Bridge |
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Liang, Shuang Yang, Ling Xin, Yurong |
Liang, Shuang Yang, Ling Xin, Yurong |
Liang, Shuang Yang, Ling Xin, Yurong |
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The Broken Bridge |
The Broken Bridge |
The Broken Bridge |
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Liang, Shuang Yang, Ling Xin, Yurong |
Liang, Shuang Yang, Ling Xin, Yurong |
Liang, Shuang Yang, Ling Xin, Yurong |
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Lady White Snake
: The Broken Bridge
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"The Broken Bridge" is a scene from "Lady White Snake," one of
the most popular folktales, which boldly advocates free love
against the repressive traditional practice of arranged marriage
dictated by Neo-Confucianism and feudalistic ideology in China.
The episode is the climax in the stormy love affair between the
good and loyal heroine, Lady White Snake, and her emotionally
torn husband, Xu Xian.
The scene opens with the exhausted Lady White Snake coming to an
unexpected reunion with her former companion Maiden Green Snake,
whom she thought she had lost during a fierce battle with Fa
Hai, a toad-turned-Buddhist monk, who has long been Lady White
Snake's nemesis. All three of them had descended from the
celestial palace to the human world in pursuit of adventure.
The battle was caused by Fa Hai's outrage at Lady White Snake's
happy marriage to Xu, which, to make matters worse, had been
arranged by themselves. In his anger Fa Hai told Xu that Lady
White, as she was known to Xu, was in fact a snake-turned-woman.
When Fa Hai's words were proved true a few days later, Xu was so
overcome with terror and confusion that he all but collapsed and
went with Fa Hai to the temple where the toad-turned-monk placed
him in detention. Later, Lady White Snake and Green Snake
followed Xu to the temple and begged Fa Hai to release Xu, but
their pleas were flatly rejected. Infuriated, the two ladies
started the battle, which ended in their defeat.
Back to the scene: as Lady White Snake and Green Snake settle
down to rest, they suddenly realize that they are by the Broken
Bridge -- a scenic spot at the beautiful West Lake -- which only
adds to Lady White Snake's agony and Green Snake's rage; for the
bridge is a painful reminder of how at this very spot a few
years back the three first met and how it was love at first
sight between Lady White Snake and Xu, with Green Snake serving
as a merry matchmaker. At this point, the returning Xu Xian
arrives running on the scene. After a chase, the two ladies
catch up with him, who is now torn between fear and passion.
They accuse Xu Xian of betrayal.
Regrets and recriminations are followed by renewed pledges of
love and loyalty. The three engage in long arias, accompanied by
dramatic dances and a wealth of emotion. Finally, they are
reunited in deeper love and understanding. The scene closes with
the three heading home. Looking back tenderly at the Broken
Bridge, a symbol for all the pitfalls and bitter-sweet memories
in a truly lasting love, they make their exit.
Ben Wang
Oct/94
Rewritten Oct\96 |
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