Brief introduction to the story of a handful of snow

A Handful of Snow is a traditional Kunqu opera, which tells the story of Mo Huaigu's separation from his wife because a jade cup was betrayed by a villain and persecuted by a powerful minister.

In the Ming Dynasty, Mo Huaigu, the minister of Taipu Temple, recommended Tang Qin, a paperhanger, to Yan Shifan, the son of Prime Minister Yan Song. But Shang Qin, in order to capture Mo Huaigu's concubine Xueyan, turned around and reported to Yan Shifan that Mo's family had a precious jade cup and a handful of snow. In order to win the Jade Cup, Yan Shifan ordered the arrest of Mo Huaigu and ordered Qi Jiguang to behead him. Mo Cheng, a servant of Mo family, died on behalf of the Lord because his appearance was similar to that of Mo Huaigu. Mo Huaigu took the opportunity to escape, and when the poor officer sent the head to Beijing, Tang Qin said that the head was not Mo Huaigu's.

So Yan Shifan escorted Qi Jiguang and Mo Huaigu's family to Beijing, ordered Lu Bing, a security guard, to be interrogated, and sent Tang Qin for joint examination. In court, through the hint of Xueyan, Liu Bing found that the purpose of Tang Qin was to get Xueyan, so he pretended to give Xueyan to Tang Qin as his concubine and secretly told Xueyan to take the opportunity to stab him to death for revenge. Tang Qin finally got his wish, so he stopped investigating the fake head and released everyone. On the night of the bridal chamber, Xueyan stabbed Tang Qin to death and then committed suicide.

Introduction of Kunqu Opera

Kunqu Opera is an important part of China traditional culture and one of the most representative operas in China. It originated in Kunshan, Jiangsu Province, with a history of more than 6 years, and is known as the "ancestor of hundreds of operas". Kunqu Opera has a beautiful performance form and a euphemistic singing style, with Kunqu as the main tune, which combines various artistic forms such as singing, reading, doing and playing. The actor's performance is very delicate, paying attention to the coordination of figure and expression, which has high artistic value.

The scripts of Kunqu Opera are based on famous literary works and historical stories, such as Peony Pavilion, Romance of the West Chamber and Peach Blossom Fan, which have profound cultural and ideological connotations. Kunqu Opera has elegant performance style, strict performance norms and procedures, and very high requirements for actors.