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Butterfly Lovers
The Butterfly Lovers, also known as Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, is a Chinese legend about the tragic romance between two lovers, Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, or Liang Zhu, from whom the name of the legend is widely known in Chinese people. The legend is often regarded as the Chinese equivalent to Romeo and Juliet.
Chinese Traditional Love Legends In Chinese, along thousands of years of history, are spread many touching love legends. Here is one of the most renowned love legends.
It was in the feudal China hundreds of years ago, when love as among young people was considered to be devious from the norm of the society. A young woman named Zhu Yingtai from
Shangyu, Zhejiang Province, disguised herself as a man travelling to
Hangzhou to study.
During her journey, she met and joined Liang Shanbo, a companion schoolmate from Kuaiji, now known as Shaoxing in the same province. They studied together for three years, during which their relationship was strengthened. However, Liang never guessed Zhu’s true identity; he only found out that she was a girl when both met again in Zhu’s hometown, while she was dressed in female clothing.
Although they were devoted and passionate about each other at that time, Zhu was already engaged with Ma Wencai, a man her parents had arranged for her to be married. Depressed, Liang died in as a county magistrate.
On the day Zhu was to be married to Ma, whirlwinds prevented the wedding procession from escorting Zhu beyond Liang’s tomb. Zhu left the procession to pay her respects to Liang. Liang’s tomb split apart, and Zhu dived into it to join him. A pair of butterflies emerged from the tomb and flew away.
Music and theatrical renditions of the story are popular among the Chinese.
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