Guan Hanqing was the leading playwright of the Yuan Dynasty (1206-1368), and one of China's greatest dramatists. His works are marked by realism, reflecting the social realities of his time and giving special insight into the problems women faced in feudal society.
There are 18 of his plays extant. The eight chosen for this volume are considered the most representative of Guan's art. "Snow in Midsummer" is his most famous play. It depicts the injustice done to Dou E, the heroine, and her resistance to her unjust fate, using an exaggerative artistic technique incisively. "Rescued by A Coquette" has a novel plot marked by a rich comical flavor. "Lord Guan Goes to the Feast" has its own artistic characteristics, paying much attention to foreshadowing before the characters appear on stage.
Guan's plays have been translated into several foreign languages. The English translation presented here was done by Yang Xianyi and his wife Gladys Yang, the most renowned modern translators of Chinese into English.
