Color illustrationsof the manuscript of The Romanceof the Western Chamberwererecently exhibitedin Auckland, New Zealand. The original composition of Wang Shifu, a well-known playwright in the Yuan Dynasty, is what domestic academia now reveres as the “Wang Shifu Manuscript”.

The illustrations revealthat the manuscript iscomposed of primarily jute paper, with an additionaltwo precious Qianshanpaper fragments, which stand out from the rest and are proven to be written and revised by Wang Shifu at that time.

According to statistics, this rare accordion-style manuscriptof The Romance of the Western Chamberhas22 panels, twomore than the existing version (20 panels). This is the only authentic manuscriptof Wang Shifu’s drama found in China to date, making it a highly valuable ancient text and art collection.It plays a significant role in the development of Chinese dramaas a rare original copy of Yuan opera at home and abroad.

Wang Shifu’s The Romanceof the Western Chamberwas favored by scholars of all ages. There are more than 100 copies of it in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, more than any other classical drama. It has been translated intoLatin, English, French, German, Russian, Italian, and Japanese, etc., extending its influence all over the world.