Princess Cheung Ping (The Flower Princess) is the masterwork of the late Mr. Tong Dik Sang at the height of his career. Since its premiere in 1957, this classic repertoire has remained to be a favourite amongst Cantonese opera audience.

The story was set in the late Ming Dynasty (mid 1600), and revolved around the love story of Princess Cheung Ping and Jau Saihin, from their first meeting; falling in love, to committing suicide on their wedding night. However, this is not an ordinary love story.

The story starts with the first scene when the Ming emperor Sung Jing realizing the imminent demise of his empire, decided to exterminate his entire female household in order to save them from humiliation. Princess Cheung Ping, though escaped with her injuries, was pitched into the trauma and misery of a broken home and kingdom, and her lost love.

Mr. Tong Dik Sang, like his counterparts in the west, was well able to juxtapose the romantic love of the opera against the lofty Confucian ideals of zhong (faithfulness to one’s emperor) and xiao (filial piety to one’s parents), during a critical historical period at the end of the Ming dynasty and the advent of the “barbarian” Manchu dynasty of the Qing. This political backdrop provides the critical dramatic tension at the core of the story. Together with Saihin, the princess was able to out-manoeuvre the Qing emperor. Their double suicide served as the ultimate political resistance.

Vancouver Cantonese Opera is honoured to present the opera Princess Cheung Ping on the 16th April 2016 at Michael J. Fox Theatre. We are delighted to be joined by a Guest performer from Hong Kong, Wai Ling Ho, Rosa Cheng, a Cantonese Opera artist from Vancouver and the wonderful talents from the Vancouver Cantonese opera troupe.