The Legend of the Red Lantern

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The Legend of the Red Lantern is one of the Eight model plays, the only operas and ballets permitted during the Cultural Revolution in China. The official Version was that of a Beijing Opera, it was additionally adapted to a piano-accompanied cantata by pianist Yin Chengzong formed by a cycle of arias extracted from the opera itself. Written during a time of political upheaval in China, the play has strong political overtones reflecting the times it was written in, it has nonetheless managed to remain popular to this day

[edit] Summary

When Li Yuhe, a rail road worker who was engaging in underground work, was taken away by special agents and Grandma Li has a premonition of being arrested, Grandma tells Tiemei the true story about her family; she expects the girl to be a strong willed person just like her father. Grandma Li then tells Tiemei how her parents have sacrificed their lives in the revolutionary struggle. Li Yuhe has taken up the unfulfilled task of the martyrs. After hearing the heroic story about her family. Li Tiemei is determined to follow the example of her father and carry the revolution through to the end.