Skip to 0 minutes and 11 seconds One way to learn about the essence of a culture is by listening to the stories it tells. For those who are interested in knowing more about Chinese culture, this course—Chinese Drama—will be great for you. We will begin with a brief introduction to Chinese history, to be followed by the development of performing arts in China. Then we will explore several important topics Chinese are concerned about in a traditional play called Injustice to Dou E, 竇娥冤, a zaju play written in the 13th century during the Yuan dynasty, i.e., the Mongol rule. Have you ever heard of a traditional Chinese play called Snow in June, 六月雪? This Beijing Opera, which is still performed a lot today, is based on Injustice to Dou E.
Skip to 1 minute and 11 seconds This is to say the 13th-century play is still alive today! Through different steps of close reading, discussion, rewriting, article reading and video demonstration, we will examine the dilemma the female protagonist Dou E faces in the play so as to understand Chinese culture more and to appreciate the beauty of Yuan zaju! I hope you will enjoy it.