Husband and Wife Watch the Lanterns

Introduction

Husband and Wife Watch the Lanterns is a traditional short play of Huangmei opera, listed by the China Intangible Cultural Heritage site with The Fairy Couple and The Female Consort Prince among the most representative works of the form. On the night of the Lantern Festival, Wang Xiaoliu and his wife from Huaining near Anqing go out with their neighbours to see the lanterns, and in the crowded streets dragon, lion and crab lanterns pass to and fro while small comic mishaps happen along the way. After the show the couple go home in high spirits, and the whole piece, sung and danced throughout, conveys the joy of a farming family after a good harvest. Huangmei opera uses its bright and simple huaqiang folk tunes mainly for short plays of this kind. The play is still often performed, and its duet is also sung on its own as a concert favourite.