The Republic of China (ROC)

1912-1949

The emergence of more narrative forms: film

Emperor Qin Shi Huang forced laborers to build the Great Wall. One day, a section of the wall collapsed and the emperor called upon diviners to perform a prophecy. The diviner was originally a traitor from the state of Chu and had once been stabbed by a patriot named Qi Liang. Seeking revenge, the diviner urged Qin Shi Huang to capture Qi Liang and sacrifice him to the collapsed wall. Qi Liang fled and sought refuge in Meng’s family Garden, where he met a woman named Meng Jiang. Impressed by his bravery, Meng Jiang married him. However, their secret was betrayed by a servant and Qi Liang was captured by Qin’s soldiers. The diviner buried him alive at the foot of the Great Wall and left a mark for others to see. Meng Jiang went through many hardships to find Qi Liang’s burial place at the foot of the wall. She wept uncontrollably, and suddenly, a strong wind and rainstorm erupted, causing the wall to collapse again. When Meng Jiang regained consciousness, she found herself in the diviner’s house. Seizing the opportunity, she killed the diviner and then committed suicide by self-immolation.

The plot of The story of Meng Jiang during the Republican era did not undergo major adaptations; it only transitioned from traditional forms such as poetry, drama, and scrolls to a more popular form at the time - film. This was closely related to the development of the Chinese film industry during the Republican era.

The history of Chinese cinema dates back to the early 20th century when the first Chinese-made film, Dingjun Mountain was released in 1905. However, it was not until the 1920s and 1930s that the Chinese film industry began to flourish with the establishment of Shanghai as a major film production center.

People’s Republic of China 1949–1978

Diversification of forms, add elements for political propaganda

赞云:万里寻夫说孟姜，冰清玉洁岂寻常!贞心不负当初约，传得声名千载芳。 诗云:为造长城逼喜良，捐身殉节动悲伤，彼美孟姜真可敬，甘心立志逆君皇。 ——《孟姜女万里寻夫集》17

Zanyun praises Meng Jiang, who searched for her husband thousands of miles away. Her purity and chastity were extraordinary, and her faithful heart upheld her initial promise, spreading her fame for thousands of years.

The poem goes as follows: “To build the Great Wall, Qi Liang was coerced; She sacrificed herself, deeply saddened. The beautiful Meng Jiang was truly admirable, with a determined heart to resist the emperor’s will.”

The Meng Jiang Baojuan compiled after the founding of New China has a full composition and few blank spaces, aiming to capture the moment of a climactic scene and showcase the plot with higher artistic value. The scroll highlights the scene where Meng Jiang and Qi Liang get married, with a bustling crowd of people, musical instruments, and singing, creating a sharp contrast between the joyous atmosphere and the later bleak and desolate situation after Qi Liang’s arrest.

In plot Meng Jiang searches for her husband and gender contrast is emphasized. In front of three strong male officials, Meng Jiang is a weak and helpless woman who has no money to pass the checkpoint and can only sing sad songs and endure the officials’ criticism, showing the inner misery of her character.

These illustrations meet the aesthetic taste of the public and moving towards commercialization and entertainment.

In this version, the plot has not changed much, but there is an added storyline of empathy for the workers who helped build the Great Wall alongside Qi Liang. It can be seen that at this time, the storytelling has shifted towards catering to the inner aspirations of labourers.

During the prosperous period of Chinese comic books, people’s entertainment lives were relatively simple, and comic books became an important reading material for many young people and even adults because of their educational and entertaining qualities. Due to the diverse artistic expressions of comic books, the subject matter has traditional Chinese cultural and historical characteristics, which distinguishes it from comic works in other countries and has a unique artistic expression.

Social background

Founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, Literature and art becomes tool for political propaganda

After the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, there was a complete change in the political environment and ideology, and the literary and artistic situation changed rapidly as a result. In order to build broad popular recognition for the new regime, while retaining the original theme and character system, The story of Meng Jiang was rewritten to include her character as a hardworking labourer, and the anti-feudal theme was strengthened. The aim was to highlight the spirit of struggle of the labouring people against feudal oppression in the class struggle between Meng Jiang and Emperor Qin Shi Huang, and their love for labour and life in the new era.

After 1949, the Chinese film industry became a tool for political propaganda and ideological education. The industry was strictly regulated, and filmmakers were required to adhere to the principles of socialist realism.

The story of Meng Jiang Yue Opera performed by the Ningbo Xiaobaihua Yue Opera Troupe and filmed by Yangzhou TV Station, 1950, TV series

18 Its predecessor was the Ningbo City Yue Opera Troupe in the early 1980s, after the establishment of the Zhejiang Little Flowers Yue Opera Troupe and the emergence of the first wave of Zhejiang Yue Opera Little Flowers phenomenon. In 1989, 35 young people with quality and potential were recruited for standardized artistic education at the newly built Ningbo Art School, and representative figures of various schools of art were invited to personally teach and train the “Thirteen Schools of Yue Opera”, full of vitality and vitality.