Top Four Chinese legendary stories 3/4

Legend of butterfly lovers

All four Chinese love legends have tragic ending

What on earth is love that makes lovers vow to stick together in life and death? When you take a look at some of the most famous Chinese stories about love, whether from history literature myths or legends, there’s a lot of death going on, but it’s romantic, don’t everyone want to live and die with the one- day love. I am sorry I don’t want to be Romeo and Juliet, I want to live, I mean I would want her to live too, I just want to live. Anyway, here are four of the most famous stories about love throughout Chinese history.

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Legend of Butterfly Lovers

Chinese legendary story

The butterfly lovers is a Chinese legend which tells a tragic love story between a pair of famous lovers, Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai. Their love story is considered as the Chinese version of Romeo and Juliet.

Once upon a time, there was a landlord named Zhu. His daughter, Zhu Yingtai was beautiful, smart and good at reading. But in ancient China, women couldn’t go to school. So Yingtai watched outside from her window every day, looking at the boys on the street going to schools with their book bags. Can women stay at home and do the embroidery sewing works? Why can’t I go to school? She suddenly asked herself: Yes! Why can’t I go to school?

Yingtai summoned up the courage asking his parents, “I want to go to Hangzhou and study there. I can wear men’s clothes and disguise like a man.” Her parents didn’t agree with her at first, but they had to permit after her strong request.

Chinese Legendary Story

Chinese Legendary Story

In the early morning, at dawn, Zhu Yingtai and her maid dressed up as men, said goodbye to their parents and left for Hangzhou with a bookcase. During her trip, she met a scholar called Liang Shanbo, they soon became good friends and tripped together to Hangzhou. Liang Shanbo was handsome and outstanding student. they often shared each other in the same poetry and articles. They cared each other and became good brothers.

Spring went with autumn coming. Three years had passed away, and they graduated at the same time. They packed up, bidding farewell to teachers and returned home. For three years, Zhu Yingtai had fallen in love with her brother Liang secretly. Although Liang Shanbo didn’t know Yingtai was a girl, he also admired her very much. After they got home, they both missed each other day and night. Several months later, Liang Shanbo paid a visit to Zhu’s family, and surprisingly found out that Zhu Yingtai dressed same as girl and she was actually a beautiful girl. Liang Shanbo had somebody go to Zhu’s home to ask for a marriage. But Zhu family could not accept such as a poor student. The parents had already betrothed his daughter to Mr. Ma, a young man from a rich family.

Legend of Butterfly Lovers

End of the Love Story

Liang Shanbo felt so hopeless, felling in sick and died soon. Hearing the news of Liang Shanbo’s death, Zhu Yingtai, having been fighting with her parents against the engagement, suddenly became extremely calm. She dressed on the red wedding gown and went into the bridal sedan chair. The team were busy all the way, gongs and drums. Passing by Liang Shanbo’s grave, the sand flew away suddenly and the sedan had to stop. Zhu Yingtai came out of the sedan chair, took off her red dress, dressed in plain clothes, and walked to the grave. She knelt down and burst into tears. All of a sudden, there came storm and thunder, and the grave cracked. Zhu Yingtai seemed to see her brother Liang’s gentle face again. She jumped in the grave with a smile. The grave closed with loud noise. At this time the wind dissipated and the clouds dispersed. After the big rain, all wild flowers swayed gently in the wind. A pair of beautiful butterflies flew out of the grave and danced freely in the sun.