Romance of the Western Chamber

Meet the voices

• Narrator · 旁白 — Tells Wang Shifu's story, starting one spring day when a poor young scholar visits Pujiu Temple.
• Zhang Sheng · 张生 — A poor, gifted young scholar of twenty-three from Luoyang, on his way to the capital to sit the exams.
• Cui Yingying · 崔莺莺 — The late Chief Minister's only daughter, nineteen, proud and shy, who writes poems and does fine needlework.
• Hongniang · 红娘 — Yingying's maid since childhood, quick, funny and bold, who must follow her everywhere.
• Madam Cui · 老夫人 — Yingying's mother, a stern, proud widow of about sixty who keeps a strict house.
• Huanlang · 欢郎 — Yingying's little brother, about eight, the only son of the Cui family.
• Abbot Faben · 法本 — The kind, rather timid old abbot of Pujiu Temple.
• Facong · 法聪 — The abbot's cheeky young disciple, who shows Zhang Sheng round the temple.
• Huiming · 惠明 — A big, loud monk at Pujiu Temple who would rather eat meat and drink wine than chant.
• Sun Feihu · 孙飞虎 — A rebel officer turned bandit chief, who has heard how beautiful Yingying is.
• Du Que · 杜确 — A general at Pu Pass, known as the White Horse General.
• Zheng Heng · 郑恒 — Madam Cui's nephew, a boastful, spoiled young nobleman.
• Qintong · 琴童 — Zhang Sheng's cheerful young page.
• Inn boy · 店小二 — A busy, friendly inn boy who looks after travelers.
• Soldier · 士兵 — A rough soldier who shouts orders.

21 chapters in 5 parts

Part 1: Pujiu Temple 普救寺

Part 2: The Qin at Night 夜听琴

Part 3: Lovesick 相思病

Part 4: Autumn Wind 秋风

Part 5: News from the Capital 京城的消息

Key words in Romance of the Western Chamber

• 小姐 xiǎo jiě: young lady
• 强盗 qiáng dào: bandit
• 寺 sì: temple
• 书房 shū fáng: study room
• 诗 shī: poem
• 月亮 yuè liang: moon
• 父亲 fù qīn: father
• 病 bìng: illness
• 结婚 jié hūn: to marry
• 花园 huā yuán: garden

Behind the story

Wang Shifu, 王实甫 (Wáng Shífǔ), wrote Romance of the Western Chamber in the Yuan dynasty, about 1300. It is a Yuan play of spoken lines and songs, a 杂剧 (zájù). It has five books and 21 acts. The story itself is older. It began as a Tang tale by Yuan Zhen, “The Story of Yingying”, 莺莺传 (Yīngyīng zhuàn), and Dong Jieyuan later retold it as a long story in song.

This book retells the play in simple Mandarin, from Wang Shifu's own text. Each of his 21 acts becomes one chapter, in his order. His songs become our own simple lines, and a few jokes and small scenes are left out.

The story is set in Tang China, in the Zhenyuan years (about 801), at Pujiu Temple, 普救寺 (Pǔjiù Sì), near the Yellow River. Yingying's late father, Chief Minister Cui, rebuilt the temple. The road home to Boling is blocked, so his widow, Yingying and her little brother stay at the temple with his coffin. Madam Cui keeps a strict house: no boy over twelve may come in unless he is called.

Did you know?

• The play's full title is “Cui Yingying Waits for the Moon in the Western Chamber”, 崔莺莺待月西厢记 (Cuī Yīngyīng dài yuè Xīxiāng jì). The Western Chamber, 西厢 (Xīxiāng), is a set of rooms on the west side of the temple, where her family is staying.
• Hongniang's name, 红娘 (Hóngniáng), became an everyday Chinese word for a matchmaker.
• Scholars went to the capital, 京城 (jīngchéng), to sit the exams, and the one who came first was the top graduate, the 状元 (zhuàngyuan). In chapter 1, Zhang Sheng stops at the Top Graduate Inn, 状元店 (Zhuàngyuan Diàn).