Department of Cultural Affairs

Everyone wants fairness and justice, but at what cost?

In this Taiwanese opera, Liu Chien-Ping, an inspector from Huguang and a symbol of public desire for justice, faces a moral crisis. On his way to a new post, Liu is accosted by fisherman Chang Fan, who protests that Liu’s fiancée’s brother, Yen Pai-Chu, has forcibly married Chiang, a fisherwoman engaged to Chang Fan. To complicate matters further, Yen Pai-Chu has accidentally killed Chiang’s mother and buried her beneath an apricot tree in the garden.  

Torn between law and sentiment, Chien-Ping initially bends the law, punishing Pai-Chu symbolically while facilitating Chiang’s marriage to Chang Fan, but ignoring the murder.

The plot intensifies when Pai-Chu, fearing exposure, pushes Chien-Ping into a lake during a banquet. Rescued by Chang Fan and filled with regret, Chien-Ping, supported by his future father-in-law, the Minister of Justice, decides to confront the situation head-on. He risks accusations of false judgement and scorn of human sentiments to ensure justice prevails.

Taipei City Arts Promotion Office, Metropolitan Hall

1 December, 7.30 pm

2 & 3 December, 2.30 pm